Process Proposed for Molecular Level Conversion of Lignin into Biopolymer Tape
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Whether you're wrapping a gift or bandaging a wound, you rely on an adhesive to get the job done.
These sticky substances often are made from petroleum-derived materials, but what if there was a more sustainable way to make them? Now, a team of engineers at the University of Delaware has developed a novel process to make tape out of a major component of trees and plants called lignin—a substance that paper manufacturers typically throw away. What's more, their invention performs just as well as at least two commercially available products.
The researchers described their results in ACS Central Science (Washington, D.C., USA) in June 2018, and they are working on more ways to upcycle scrap wood and plants into "designer materials" for consumer use.
More information can be found in the full article available online.
