Bio-based plastics such as polylactic acid (PLA) were invented to help solve the plastic waste crisis, but they often end up making waste management more challenging.
Polymers
Nov 17, 2023
0
77
(Phys.org)—From petroleum refining to food processing, the vast majority of commercial chemical applications involve catalysts to control the rate of chemical reactions. Anything that can increase the efficiency of catalysts ...
Algae is widely touted as the next best source for fueling the world's energy needs. But one of the greatest challenges in creating biofuels from algae is that when you extract the oil from the algae, it kills the organisms, ...
Bio & Medicine
Apr 7, 2009
3
1
Algae-derived biofuel can reduce life cycle CO2 emissions by 50 to 70 percent compared to petroleum fuels, and is approaching a similar Energy Return on Investment (EROI) as conventional petroleum according to a new peer-reviewed ...
Energy & Green Tech
Sep 19, 2013
1
0
Bioplastics made from protein sources such as albumin and whey have shown significant antibacterial properties, findings that could eventually lead to their use in plastics used in medical applications such as wound healing ...
Polymers
Mar 27, 2015
0
893
(Phys.org) —The advantages of sustainable, biodegradable, carbon-neutral and bioderived renewable polymers – that is, synthetic polymers based on biomolecules produced by living organisms – are reflected in the extent ...
With a few genetic tweaks, a type of soil bacteria with an appetite for hydrocarbons shows promise as a biological factory for converting a renewable—but frustratingly untapped—bounty into a replacement for ubiquitous ...
Materials Science
Mar 7, 2019
0
174
As the Senate struggles with energy legislation this week, one of the few fixes with bipartisan support is a bill that would invest billions in putting electric-powered cars and trucks on the road. But it’s not clear whether ...
Energy & Green Tech
Jul 30, 2010
50
0
Researchers from Michigan State University's top-ranked School of Packaging have developed a way to make a promising, sustainable alternative to petroleum-based plastics more biodegradable.
Materials Science
Aug 4, 2023
0
89
Take a Petri dish containing crude petroleum and it will release a strong odor distinctive of the toxins that make up the fossil fuel. Sprinkle mushroom spores over the Petri dish and let it sit for two weeks in an incubator, ...
Biotechnology
Nov 30, 2011
2
0
