Non-degradable plastic water bottles are recognized as one of the major sources of environmental pollution on land and in the oceans. However, potable water has proven essential to the well-being and health of humans in many countries and during natural disaster events where water supplies are not safe to drink. In response, new commercial products, such as those developed by Skipping Rocks Lab, are under development which use an edible/degradable packaging. In this presentation, we will describe a new experiment for both the middle school and high school classrooms based on this chemistry.<br/>Readily available sodium alginate and calcium lactate are reacted in a controlled manner to produce cross-linked hydrogel polymers for students to explore. Variations of the experiment will be described along with opportunities for student exploration of aqueous systems, such as juices, the relationship of the thickness of the gel with reaction time, effect on concentration of reactants, and mechanical testing. Lesson plans meeting Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) associated with the experiment will be presented for analyzing data, design criteria, structure and function relationships, and human impact on the environment. Highlighted are how green chemistry principles are being used to design sustainable plastics for future generations.  <br/>

Edible water capsules: Hydrogels with a sustainable purpose

2019 Fall National Meeting

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.