Vietnamese Scientists Develop Cheaper Natural Plastic

Convex Plastics, February 11th, 2009

A group of Vietnamese researchers claim to have developed a biodegradable plastic material that is cheaper to produce than other biodegradable films.

As part of Vietnam’s efforts to reduce the use of plastic bags, research scientists from the Ho Chi Minh City-based University of Sciences have developed a material to make biodegradable plastic bags with several advantages over existing biodegradable films.

esearch team leader, Truong Phuoc Nghia, says the new material can fully degrade in landfill within a short time and also make the cost of bags produced with it much cheaper than biodegradable bags made with other materials.

The material, known as nanocomposite, is made with nanotechnology and is a mix of thermoplastic starch (made from starch), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), a kind of polymer clay, and some food additives.

The material is fully biodegradable in landfill within one to six months and tests have shown that the material’s ductility and elasticity are the same as common plastics. Nanocomposite bags can also be re-used many times, provided they do not come into contact with water.

The research team is aiming to continue their research to enable the nanocomposite bags to be commercialised.