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#3 South Korean researchers report biobased polycarbonate breakthrough

In South Korea, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology has developed biobased polycarbonate, becoming just the second entity to do so after Japan’s Mitsu Chemical Corp.

Using plant-based isosorbide and nanocellulose, Drs. Jeyoung Park, Dongyeop Oh, and Sung Yeon Hwang of KRICT’s Research Center for Bio-based Chemistry were able to develop a biobased route to the ubiquitous plastic. KRICT’s polycarbonate also has “significantly improved” strength and transparency—both large barriers to wider bioplastic usage.

“We wanted to break the stereotype that bioplastic has inferior mechanical properties and is expensive,” Dr. Park says. “Through the synergistic interplay between the plant-based ingredients, we were able to develop a bioplastic that is superior to petroleum plastic.”

KRICT’s bio-polycarbonate exhibited a tensile strength of 93MPa—the highest measurement to date amongst all existing petroleum- and biobased polycarbonate. Light transmittance was measured as 93%, due to the suppressed crystallinity through the dispersed nanocellulose.
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