New plastic completely dissolves in seawater within hours
Earth.com • • science
Key Points:
- Researchers in Japan have developed a plant-based plastic made from cellulose that dissolves completely in seawater within hours, leaving no microplastic fragments behind, offering a potential solution to ocean plastic pollution.
- The new material, called CMCSP, uses ionic polymerization and salt bridges to create a strong, flexible film suitable for everyday packaging, including lightweight plastic bags for fruits and vegetables.
- Unlike many biodegradable plastics that degrade slowly in marine environments, CMCSP breaks down rapidly due to salt ions disrupting its polymer network, preventing the formation of persistent microplastics.
- The dissolved components of CMCSP can be recovered and recycled by adding electrolytes, enabling a closed-loop recycling process that reduces reliance on new feedstocks.
- While promising, scaling
