Biopolymers such as starch and poly lactic acid (PLA) can be derived from agriculture and are among the most promising biobased plastics for packaging and other short term application. Considering the growing pressure of environmental safety and limited resources on our planet, it would be beneficial to retain the value of waste products by material valorization. A closed-loop strategy from feedstock recycling of biopolymers to utilization of the obtained degradation products as property enhancers in the same biopolymers was demonstrated. Starch was hydrothermal degraded to green platform chemicals under microwave irradiation. And the degradation products were shown to have practical significance as enhancers for new starch materials [1]; PLA could be degraded in the presence of polyols, and the obtained amphiphilic polyol ended oligolactic acids functioned as compatibilizers to improve the interfacial adhesion in the new PLA/starch composite [2]. This delicate strategy provides opportunities for industrial recycling of old starch and PLA products and for the further utilization of obtained products to manufacture new starch and PLA based materials. References: [1] Wu D., Hakkarainen M., ACS Sustainable Chemistry&Engineering, 2014,2,2172-2181. [2] Wu D., Hakkarainen M., European Polymer Journal, 2015,64,126-137.

Closed-loop strategy for valorization of starch and poly (lactic acid) into new materials

251st National Meeting (2016)

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