Using fish oil researchers have made a polyurethane-like material
A safer and more environmentally-friendly polyurethane-like polymer has been created using fishery and aquaculture waste. The work, led by chemistry professor Francesca Kerton from Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada, was presented at the American Chemical Society’s virtual spring conference.
Polyurethane production typically requires crude oil and toxic phosgene, and the synthesis generates isocyanates, which are skin and respiratory irritants. The material isn’t biodegradeable either, and carcinogenic compounds can be released from the limited breakdown that does occur.
Amid a push for greener alternatives, Kerton and colleagues turned to extracted oil from fish remains such as guts, bones and skin as her university is located in a region where salmon farming is a major industry. Consequently, the team has developed a three-step method for making a fish-oil based plastic. First, they use hydrogen per
Fish-Oil Based Polyurethane Could Help Meet the Need for Sustainable Plastics
Written by AZoCleantechApr 6 2021
Polyurethanes, a type of plastic, are nearly everywhere in shoes, clothes, refrigerators and construction materials. But these highly versatile materials can have a major downside.
Derived from crude oil, toxic to synthesize, and slow to break down, conventional polyurethanes are not environmentally friendly. Today, researchers discuss devising what they say should be a safer, biodegradable alternative derived from fish waste heads, bones, skin and guts that would otherwise likely be discarded.
The researchers will present their results today at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS Spring 2021 is being held online April 5-30. Live sessions will be hosted April 5-16, and on-demand and networking content will continue through April 30. The meeting features nearly 9,000 presentations on a wide range of science topics.
Credit: Mikhailey Wheeler
WASHINGTON, April 5, 2021 Polyurethanes, a type of plastic, are nearly everywhere in shoes, clothes, refrigerators and construction materials. But these highly versatile materials can have a major downside. Derived from crude oil, toxic to synthesize, and slow to break down, conventional polyurethanes are not environmentally friendly. Today, researchers discuss devising what they say should be a safer, biodegradable alternative derived from fish waste heads, bones, skin and guts that would otherwise likely be discarded.
The researchers will present their results today at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS Spring 2021 is being held online April 5-30. Live sessions will be hosted April 5-16, and on-demand and networking content will continue through April 30. The meeting features nearly 9,000 presentations on a wide range of science topics.
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