Give two examples of biodegradable materials released from sugar industry

• Polycarbonate is used to make drinks bottles, lenses for glasses and in scratch-resistant coatings for phones, CDs and DVDs • Current manufacture processes for polycarbonate use BPA (banned from use in baby bottles) and highly toxic phosgene, used as a chemical weapon in World War One • Bath scientists have made alternative polycarbonates from sugars and carbon dioxide in a new process that also uses low pressures and room temperature, making it cheaper and safer to produce • This new type of polycarbonate can be biodegraded back into carbon dioxide and sugar using enzymes from soil bacteria • This new plastic is bio-compatible so could in the future be used for medical implants or as scaffolds for growing replacement organs for transplant Polycarbonates from sugars offer a more sustainable alternative to traditional polycarbonate from BPA, however the process uses a highly toxic chemical called phosgene. Now scientists at Bath have developed a much safer, even more sustainable alternative which adds carbon dioxide to the sugar at low pressures and at room temperature. The resulting plastic has similar physical properties to those derived from petrochemicals, being strong, transparent and scratch-resistant. The crucial difference is that they can be degraded back into carbon dioxide and sugar using the enzymes found in soil bacteria. The new BPA-free plastic could potentially replace current polycarbonates in items such as baby bottles and food containers, and since the ...

All articles published by MDPI are made immediately available worldwide under an open access license. No special permission is required to reuse all or part of the article published by MDPI, including figures and tables. For articles published under an open access Creative Common CC BY license, any part of the article may be reused without permission provided that the original article is clearly cited. For more information, please refer to Feature papers represent the most advanced research with significant potential for high impact in the field. A Feature Paper should be a substantial original Article that involves several techniques or approaches, provides an outlook for future research directions and describes possible research applications. Feature papers are submitted upon individual invitation or recommendation by the scientific editors and must receive positive feedback from the reviewers. Editor’s Choice articles are based on recommendations by the scientific editors of MDPI journals from around the world. Editors select a small number of articles recently published in the journal that they believe will be particularly interesting to readers, or important in the respective research area. The aim is to provide a snapshot of some of the most exciting work published in the various research areas of the journal. Sugarcane is a lignocellulosic crop and the juice extracted from its stalks provides the raw material for 86% of sugar production. Globally, sugarcane processi...

Recent research and development in the field of sugarcane bagasse processing offers a promising hope to the sugarcane industries. Various value-added bioproducts and technologies have been developed by the utilization of waste sugarcane bagasse. Other applications such as the production of energy, biodegradable material, packaging products, construction, and bioadsorbents still need to be evolved more so that the remaining sugarcane bagasse can be utilized. Few limitations of sugarcane bagasse valorisation make difficulties in the commercialization of green technologies; therefore, there is a need to develop efficient processes to utilize it as a raw material for value-added products and various other applications. Graphical abstract • YR Li LT Yang 2015 Sugarcane agriculture and sugar industry in China Sugar Tech 17 1 1 8 • GDM Rocha AR Gonçalves BR Oliveira EG Olivares CEV Rossell 2012 Steam explosion pretreatment reproduction and alkaline delignification reactions performed on a pilot scale with sugarcane bagasse for bioethanol production Ind Crops Prod 35 1 274 279 • ML Dotaniya SC Datta DR Biswas CK Dotaniya BL Meena S Rajendiran KL Regar M Lata 2016 Use of sugarcane industrial by-products for improving sugarcane productivity and soil health Int J Recycl Org Waste Agric 5 3 185 194 • Plermjai, K., Boonyarattanakalin, K., Mekprasart, W., Pavasupree, S., Phoohinkong, W. and Pecharapa, W (2018) Extraction and characterization of nanocellulose from sugarcane bagasse by ba...

The US EPA and the ACS Green Chemistry Institute ®have played a major role in promoting research and education in pollution prevention and the reduction of toxics over the past three decades. Governments and scientific communities throughout the world recognize that the practice of green chemistry and engineering not only leads to a cleaner and more sustainable earth, but also is economically beneficial with many positive social impacts. These benefits encourage businesses and governments to support the development of sustainable products and processes. The United States, desiring to reward and celebrate significant achievements in Green Chemistry, has given out an annual award since 1996, the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award. Examples of green chemistry accomplishments listed below illustrate how green chemistry impacts a wide array of fields, from pharmaceuticals to housewares, and offer a pathway to a better world. metathesis – which has broad applicability in the chemical industry. It uses significantly less energy and has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for many key processes. The process is stable at normal temperatures and pressures, can be used in combination with greener solvents, and is likely to produce less hazardous waste. In 2012, Elevance Renewable Sciences won the Computer Chips To manufacture computer chips, many chemicals, large amounts of water, and energy are required. In a study conducted in 2003, the industrial estimate of...

1 2 Biodegradable plastic from sugar cane also threatens the environment Date: June 1, 2023 Source: University of Gothenburg Summary: Plastic made from cane sugar also threatens the environment. Researchers from the University of Gothenburg have found that perch change their behavior when exposed to so-called bioplastic. Share: Traditional plastic, based on fossil oil, has flooded the earth and there is microplastic in all living things. This has led to intensive research for alternatives that decompose faster in nature. Bio-based polymers based on cane sugar are one such option. The most common bioplastic is poly-L-lactide (PLA), which is used in 3D printers, textiles, food packaging, disposable cutlery and other applications. PLA plastic changed the behaviour of perch Bioplastics also have a negative impact on biological life. Doctoral student Azora König Kardgar at the University of Gothenburg has found that the behaviour of small perch exposed to bioplastics in fish food changed over a period of six months. They reacted far more when they met fellow perch than normal. In addition, there were signs of reduced movement, altered ability to form shoals and altered reaction when approached by danger. "Toxicological experiments that analyse animal behaviour are very rare. Most commonly, researchers look at physiological changes. We can see that something in PLA plastic causes changes in the fish, but we can't see what," says Azora. Because this research looked at PLA micropl...

• • Sugar industrial organic wastes contain fermentable sugars, aromatics, and acids. • • Engineered microbes can convert those organics to high-value chemicals and polymers. • • Obtained chemicals and polymers can be used to make biodegradable materials. • • Bio-based smart/active food packages can be manufactured using the materials. Many petroleum-derived plastics, including food packaging materials are non-biodegradable and designed for single-use applications. Annually, around 175 Mt. of plastic enters the land and ocean ecosystems due to mismanagement and lack of techno economically feasible plastic waste recycling technologies. Renewable sourced, biodegradable polymer-based food packaging materials can reduce this environmental pollution. Sugar production from sugarcane or sugar beet generates organic waste streams that contain fermentable substrates, including sugars, acids, and aromatics. Microbial metabolism can be leveraged to funnel those molecules to platform chemicals or biopolymers to generate biodegradable food packaging materials that have active or sensing molecules embedded in biopolymer matrices. The smart package can real-time monitor food quality, assure health safety, and provide economic and environmental benefits. Active packaging materials display functional properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, and light or gas barrier. This article provides an overview of potential biodegradable smart/active polymer packages for food applications by val...

All articles published by MDPI are made immediately available worldwide under an open access license. No special permission is required to reuse all or part of the article published by MDPI, including figures and tables. For articles published under an open access Creative Common CC BY license, any part of the article may be reused without permission provided that the original article is clearly cited. For more information, please refer to Feature papers represent the most advanced research with significant potential for high impact in the field. A Feature Paper should be a substantial original Article that involves several techniques or approaches, provides an outlook for future research directions and describes possible research applications. Feature papers are submitted upon individual invitation or recommendation by the scientific editors and must receive positive feedback from the reviewers. Editor’s Choice articles are based on recommendations by the scientific editors of MDPI journals from around the world. Editors select a small number of articles recently published in the journal that they believe will be particularly interesting to readers, or important in the respective research area. The aim is to provide a snapshot of some of the most exciting work published in the various research areas of the journal. Sugarcane is a lignocellulosic crop and the juice extracted from its stalks provides the raw material for 86% of sugar production. Globally, sugarcane processi...

• • Sugar industrial organic wastes contain fermentable sugars, aromatics, and acids. • • Engineered microbes can convert those organics to high-value chemicals and polymers. • • Obtained chemicals and polymers can be used to make biodegradable materials. • • Bio-based smart/active food packages can be manufactured using the materials. Many petroleum-derived plastics, including food packaging materials are non-biodegradable and designed for single-use applications. Annually, around 175 Mt. of plastic enters the land and ocean ecosystems due to mismanagement and lack of techno economically feasible plastic waste recycling technologies. Renewable sourced, biodegradable polymer-based food packaging materials can reduce this environmental pollution. Sugar production from sugarcane or sugar beet generates organic waste streams that contain fermentable substrates, including sugars, acids, and aromatics. Microbial metabolism can be leveraged to funnel those molecules to platform chemicals or biopolymers to generate biodegradable food packaging materials that have active or sensing molecules embedded in biopolymer matrices. The smart package can real-time monitor food quality, assure health safety, and provide economic and environmental benefits. Active packaging materials display functional properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, and light or gas barrier. This article provides an overview of potential biodegradable smart/active polymer packages for food applications by val...

Recent research and development in the field of sugarcane bagasse processing offers a promising hope to the sugarcane industries. Various value-added bioproducts and technologies have been developed by the utilization of waste sugarcane bagasse. Other applications such as the production of energy, biodegradable material, packaging products, construction, and bioadsorbents still need to be evolved more so that the remaining sugarcane bagasse can be utilized. Few limitations of sugarcane bagasse valorisation make difficulties in the commercialization of green technologies; therefore, there is a need to develop efficient processes to utilize it as a raw material for value-added products and various other applications. Graphical abstract • YR Li LT Yang 2015 Sugarcane agriculture and sugar industry in China Sugar Tech 17 1 1 8 • GDM Rocha AR Gonçalves BR Oliveira EG Olivares CEV Rossell 2012 Steam explosion pretreatment reproduction and alkaline delignification reactions performed on a pilot scale with sugarcane bagasse for bioethanol production Ind Crops Prod 35 1 274 279 • ML Dotaniya SC Datta DR Biswas CK Dotaniya BL Meena S Rajendiran KL Regar M Lata 2016 Use of sugarcane industrial by-products for improving sugarcane productivity and soil health Int J Recycl Org Waste Agric 5 3 185 194 • Plermjai, K., Boonyarattanakalin, K., Mekprasart, W., Pavasupree, S., Phoohinkong, W. and Pecharapa, W (2018) Extraction and characterization of nanocellulose from sugarcane bagasse by ba...

• Polycarbonate is used to make drinks bottles, lenses for glasses and in scratch-resistant coatings for phones, CDs and DVDs • Current manufacture processes for polycarbonate use BPA (banned from use in baby bottles) and highly toxic phosgene, used as a chemical weapon in World War One • Bath scientists have made alternative polycarbonates from sugars and carbon dioxide in a new process that also uses low pressures and room temperature, making it cheaper and safer to produce • This new type of polycarbonate can be biodegraded back into carbon dioxide and sugar using enzymes from soil bacteria • This new plastic is bio-compatible so could in the future be used for medical implants or as scaffolds for growing replacement organs for transplant Polycarbonates from sugars offer a more sustainable alternative to traditional polycarbonate from BPA, however the process uses a highly toxic chemical called phosgene. Now scientists at Bath have developed a much safer, even more sustainable alternative which adds carbon dioxide to the sugar at low pressures and at room temperature. The resulting plastic has similar physical properties to those derived from petrochemicals, being strong, transparent and scratch-resistant. The crucial difference is that they can be degraded back into carbon dioxide and sugar using the enzymes found in soil bacteria. The new BPA-free plastic could potentially replace current polycarbonates in items such as baby bottles and food containers, and since the ...