Replacing Flexible Plastic Packaging With Material Formed From Crab Shells And Trees

Document Type:Coursework

Subject Area:Chemistry

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Researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology state that, the new material is made from spraying multiple layers of chitin extracted from crab shells, combined with cellulose extracted from tree fibers, a process that forms a flexible film that is similar to the look and feel of the traditional plastic packaging film. Carson Meredith, a professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Chemical and Bio-molecular Engineering, revealed that the material had the potential to reduce oxygen permeability by 67 percent over and above other forms of polyethylene terephthalate PET, which means that the film in theory can keep foods fresher longer. Cellulose which is extracted from plants, is one of the most common natural biopolymer. The other common is Chitin, which is found in insects, shellfish and fungi.

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The team of researchers developed a method of creating the film by suspending both cellulose and chitin nanofibers in water, followed by spraying them on a surface in alternating layers. Meredith also added that, PET packaging on the other hand, contains more non-crystalline content, making it an easier path for small gas molecules to pass through. This is what gives the new material the extra benefit than the normal plastic packaging. For environmentalists who for long have been looking for renewable ways to eradicate and replace petroleum-based materials used to package consumer good, this will be a great step in their mission. The research still needs to be studied further, however, with the great amount of cellulose being produced already and with a ready supply of rich chitin byproducts that are left over from shellfish food industry, there is more than enough material to produce the new films on a large scale.

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