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To begin with this subject, we first decided to search for proper and practical information about biodegradable plastics. So that's why we looked for companies selling those kinds of products. Then we tried to have an overview of the techniques used in that industry. Finally, we used all of those data in order to make some hypothesis on how to make the perfect plastic.

Enjoy your reading!

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We searched for companies who produce or sell tableware made in biodegradable plastic. Then we tried to contact them in order to obtain information. Here is a few examples.

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Green Time: This company sells mostly wooden and recyclable cutlery but also some forks, spoons and knives made in corn starch (just like what we want to do!). We sent them an email asking for more information, especially about other ingredients and the moulding. They answered us, but infortunately they weren't the ones who were making the products, they were just resellers for a Chinese brand.

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Biofutura: This company sells a wide range of "sustainable disposables" products. On the website we found information about two kinds of plastic: PLA and CPLA (see below), which are the components of biodegradable cutlery. However, we weren't able to contact the company, but it helped in our further researches.

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CPLA | Bio Futura - Packaging durable & Jetables

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Nos produits sont fabriqués à partir de CPLA durables. Chez Bio Futura, vous trouverez une large gamme de produits durables avec un service de qualité. Livraison rapide!

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LS Bio: Another company selling ecological tableware, but above all, has a very useful explanation on the several compenents of the products (PSM and PLA). However, they wouldn't give us information about their products because of industrial reasons.

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'canne à sucre' 'vaisselle jetable' 'vaisselle bio' 'vaisselle biodegradable' 'vaisselle jetable bio' 'vaisselle jetable écologique' 'vaisselle pique-nique' 'vaisselle écologique' 'vaisselle éphémère'

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Nous proposons de la vaisselle biodégradable écologique jetable fabriquée à partir de produits naturels issus de ressources renouvelables comme la canne à sucre, bois, bambou, palmier, l'amidon ou le bioplastique PLA.

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Other companies we contacted: Dinovia*, Ojetables*, Greenpack*. They didn't answer to our questions, and their websites did not provide any other useful information for us. The main problem about contacting those companies is that they do not make their products themselves, they're primarly resellers of big chemical companies' product. Those last have such a wide range of products that is it is very difficult to find about specific products.

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After we collected the basic information on the types of plastic which interested us, we could start finding out about the properties of theses plastics.

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Biopolymers:

Firstly, we could define what a polymer is. It is a molecule with a high molecular mass, made up with monomers linked with covalent bondings. They are mainly organic molecules. "Biopolymers" refer to a kind of polymers obtained with only natural and renewable resources, and not toxic to produce. Starch*, found in many vegetables, is one of them.

They can be produced by biological systems (such as micro-organisms, plants and animals), or chemically synthesized from biological starting materials (like sugars, starch, natural fats or oils).

Biopolymers are an alternative to petroleum-based polymers which are the most marketed plastics nowadays. Biopolymers are also, for the current time, more expensive then 'classic" plastics.

Now, we will present the most common biodegradable plastics which are biopolymers (Careful: not all such called "bioplastics" are biodegradable, and some petroleum-based plastics are).

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PLA (Polylactide):

It is a biodegradable plastic derived from lactic acid. This acid can be obtained using starch from corn, wheat or sugar beat. It is widely used in the whole world.

Its decomposition is complete in 3 or 4 weeks in a proper compost system. It is insoluble in water, and does not support heat.

It looks like clear polystyrene, but it needs to be modified for nearly every of its application (especially to increase its flexibility). We can use it to make compost bags, plant pots and packaging. It also can be used for medical purpose, as it degrades itself in the body.

This photo shows biodegradable plastic cups made in PLA in a restaurant.

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CPLA (Polylactide aliphatic copolymer)

This plastic is like an enhanced version of PLA. It is a mixture of lactide and aliphatic polyesters. It can be either a hard plastic or a soft flexible one depending on the amount of aliphatic polyester present in the mixture.  CPLA is made by fermenting cornstarch or cheese whey and mixing it with aliphatic polyester, made from fermentation of glycerol*. All are renewable resources.

Its principal feature is that, unlike PLA, this plastic supports heat up to 200°C. Its complete decomposition occurs after 12 months in a natural environment.

This photo shows some cutlery made in CPLA found on the biofutura website.

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PSM (Plastarch Material)

Plastarch Material is a biodegradable, thermoplastic resin. It is composed of starch combined with several other biodegradable materials. It has the same properties as PLA, except that it is resistant to heats up to 120°C. It is widely used to make food packaging, ustensils or plastic bags.

Below, here is an example of cutlery made in PSM.

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Cutlery made in made from a biodegradable starch-polyester material

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Here is a table showing the main caracteristics of both types of plastic.

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Now that we have found several information about those plastics, can we make them in our school labs? The answer is not really.

Indeed, all those plastics are made in industrially with a very complex process which we cannot reproduce by our own means.

Here is a diagram from Toyota corporation explaining the whole process of making PLA.

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However, does that mean that we aren't able to do anything? Of course not! But the plastic we'll be making won't be PLA, CPLA or even PSM, because our polymer basis will be the starch itself, or then we could add other ingredients to improve it.

Recipes for making this type of plastic can be found easily on internet. We found a protocol made by the Dijon academy which seemed reliable to us.

The concept is to use starch to make a biopolymer, to add water to it, and glycerol in order to obtain a certain flexibility and to make the plastic more resistant. Glycerol is a "plasticizer", making the mobility between molecules easier. Moreover, it gives a specific texture to the transparent matter. This will be our basic recipe around which we will experiment.

Notice: We chose not to include in our recipe any unnatural/toxic ingredient, in order to have the most simple and safe plastic. It is eatable, and not toxic for humans.

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Here is the basic protocol we'll be using as a reference protocol in our experiments :

Equipment list :

- 100 mL beakers
- Heater
- Pipette and propipette
- Graduated cylinder
- Potato starch
- 50% glycerol solution
- Distilled water
- Food coloring
- Balance
- Pan and whisk
- Glass stirrer
- Spatula
- Cup
- Ceramic plate

Protocol:

- Put 100 mL of water in a pan.
- Add 2 mL of glycerin and stir with the whisk.
- Next, gradually add 5 g of potato starch while continuing to stir, adding food coloring (optional).
- Heat this mixture until it becomes translucent. When it becomes translucent , continue to heat over low heat while stirring for 10 minutes.
- Pour this mixture (still warm and liquid) on a plastic support (or glass) on which it can easily peel off by spreading a thin layer on its surface.
- Make the plastic dry at room temperature for about a week.
- Once dry, the plastic can be taken off.

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To improve our plastic's quality, we will investigate these points:
♦ Changing the proportions and quantity of each component
♦ Adding vinegar or salt
♦ Adding oil ♦ Trying different types of molds

We found some of these ideas looking at other pupils' TPE (link below). They suggested that to make the plastic more waterproof, we could try to add oil. Moreover, we found protocols where vinegar, or other additives such as salt, were involved. The other ideas were ours.

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You can go back to the table of contents...

http://padlet.com/CillyKarma/prodfin1S2

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How to make biodegradable plastic disposable tableware

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(or in French : Comment fabriquer de la vaisselle jetable en plastique biodégradable?) A very fine TPE by Louise Duhamel, Solène Chédru, and Léa Lo Van, all of them in the (best) class of 1ère S2 at lycée Notre Dame d’Espérance in St Nazaire.

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...Or continue to next page!

http://padlet.com/CillyKarma/prodfin1S2part2

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Now it's time to see if it works! By Louise Duhamel, Solène Chédru, Léa Lo Van (group n°25), 1ère S2 for TPE 2014-2015 at Lycée Notre-Dame D'Espérance in St Nazaire.