South Korea’s LG Chem has developed a biodegradable material features 100% bio content that is claimed to have mechanical properties equivalent to synthetic resins such as polypropylene (PP).
The material’s content includes corn-based glucose and crude glycerol, and it is a single homogenous material that does not need to be mixed with other plastic materials or additives to strengthen properties and flexibility.
The material’s flexibility has improved by more than 20 times, along with its transparency, compared with existed biodegradable materials, through proprietary technologies and production processes. It enables transparency even after processing.
The material is applicable in many fields such as plastics bags, air cap buffers, disposable cups, foaming products, and mask felts. It would also 90% decomposed within 120 days.
On a side note, LG Chem will accelerate its entry into the biodegradable material market. It is set to conduct prototype evaluations in 2022, and by 2025 it targeted to conduct mass production.
