Aug 18 2010
According to industry analysts, Americans dispose 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour, and the annual world consumption of plastic is approaching 100 million tons.
Clearly, it is imperative to find a plastic alternative produced from renewable resources. North Carolina State University (NCSU) researchers have demonstrated a viable solution for producing Microfibrillated Celluloses (MFCs) from wood pulps. These MFCs, when produced on a Microfluidizer high shear fluid processor from Microfluidics, have been shown to be biodegradable, energy efficient and strength competitive with currently utilized petroleum-based plastics.
NCSU researcher Kelley Spence will present findings at a complimentary webinar on August 25, 2010 at http://www.microfluidicscorp.com/webinars. In the webinar, Ms. Spence will detail her study and results toward critical objectives:
- Determine the effectiveness of three alternative processing methods (Microfluidization, homogenization and micro-grinding)
- Develop a more energy-efficient process for biodegradable plastic alternatives (maintain/improve quality of existing materials and prove commercial viability for large-scale manufacturing)
A replay will remain active in the website’s archive following the live event and a written case study is also available online. On September 15, 2010, the Microfluidics Webinar Series will continue with an educational presentation on nanomaterials for applications within the chemical industry such as carbon nanotube dispersions, coatings, inks and more.
Source: http://www.ncsu.edu/