QUEENS’ COLLEGE INDORE

SESSION 2021-22
SCIENCE EXHIBITION
SUBJECT- CHEMISTRY
TOPIC – “BIOPLASTIC”, OUR SOLUTION TO
POLLUTION

PERFORMED BY – PARIDHI SHARMA

PRIYANSHI BATHEJA
GUIDING TEACHER – PIYUSH MANDLOI
SIR
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Priyanshi Batheja and Paridhi Sharma

student of Class XI A has successfully completed the research on
the project Bioplastic under the guidance of Mr. Piyush Mandloi
during year 2021 -22

Teacher’s signature
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We would like to extend our special thanks of gratitude to all
those who gave me the possibility to complete the project. Special
thanks to our Chemistry teacher Mr. Piyush Mandloi whose help,
stimulating suggestion and words of encouragement helped me in
all time of fabrication process.
We would also like to extend my gratitude towards our Parents
and friends for helping us complete the project in the limited time
frame .

Priyanshi Batheja
Paridhi Sharma
Class – XI- A
 INTRODUCTION

WHY BIOPLASTICS IS AN IMMEDIATE NEED OF

THE HOUR?

Plastics are carbon-based polymers (long-chain molecules that repeat their structures over

and over) and we make them mostly from petroleum. They're incredibly versatile—by
definition: the word plastic, which means flexible, says it all. The trouble is that plastic is just
too good. We use it for mostly disposable, low-value items such as food-wrap and product
packaging, but there's nothing particularly disposable about most plastics. On average, we use
plastic bags for 12 minutes before getting rid of them, yet they can take fully 500 years to
break down in the environment (quite how anyone knows this is a mystery, since plastics
have been around only about a century).

Getting rid of plastics is extremely difficult. Burning them can give off toxic chemicals such
as dioxins, while collecting and recycling them responsibly is also difficult, because there are
many different kinds and each has to be recycled by a different process. If we used only tiny
amounts of plastics that wouldn't be so bad, but we use them in astounding quantities. In
Britain alone (one small island in a very big world), people use 8 billion disposable plastic
bags each year. If you've ever taken part in a beach clean, you'll know that about 80 percent
of the waste that washes up on the shore is plastic, including bottles, bottle tops, and tiny odd
fragments known as "mermaids' tears." 

We're literally drowning in plastic we cannot get rid of. And we're making most of it from oil
—a non-renewable resource that's becoming increasingly expensive. It's been estimated that
200,000 barrels of oil are used each day to make plastic packaging for the United States
alone, though the actual figure may be significantly higher.

Chart: How long do plastics last in the environment? PE = polyethylene; PP = polypropylene; PET =
polyethylene terephthalate; PVC = polyvinylchloride. Composting typically takes 180–365 days depending
on whether it happens in an industrial composter or a home compost heap.
BIOPLASTICS: A NOBLE SOLUTION
Bioplastics include plastics that are biodegradable and/or made for renewable biomass
sources. Bioplastics that are made from renewable biomass are usually made from vegetable
starch and glycerin and are called starch-based bioplastics. Essentially, bioplastics are built
upon long polymer chains (really large molecules made of monomers) that result from
biomass starch (like cornstarch) mixed together with biomass glycerol (like glycerin) under
heat. Forms of bioplastic include: starch based; PHB, a product of bacteria processing
glucose; PA 11, a polymer made from natural oils that is very useful and made from
renewable sources but not biodegradable; and finally, PLA, which is one of the most
promising bioplastics. PLA is semi-biodegradable and is one of the more easier bioplastics to
produce, as its manufacturing process and its qualities are similar to that of PET, a fossil-fuel-
based plastic. By using corn instead of fossil fuels to create plastic, scientists and
manufacturers are developing a more sustainable method in producing plastic--a product that
is used countlessly throughout a day. Through replacing the world’s plastics with generally
biodegradable and renewable alternatives, bioplastics and the awesome chemists who
develop them are helping reduce both plastic waste and the world’s dependency on finite
fossil fuels. Ultimately, bioplastics perfectly exemplify how chemistry can change the world
for the better.

Advantages of Bioplastic

 They can reduce our carbon footprint.

 Less consumption of non-renewable raw materials.
 A reduction of non-biodegradable waste, which contaminates the
environment.
 Increased energy savings in terms of production.
 Fewer harmful additives such as phthalates or bisphenol A.
 No adverse change to flavour or scent in food stored in bioplastic
containers.

Composition of bioplastic
Bioplastics, like most all plastics, are mainly comprised of three elements: hydrogen, carbon,
and oxygen.
Main Chemicals, Compounds, Components
This project is examining bioplastics as a whole. However, for the sake of analyzing the
chemistry and composition of a bioplastic, I will specifically investigate one of the more
common bioplastics, Polylactide (or PLA).
PLA serves as an excellent example of how chemistry can help shape the future of the world
with just three basic elements. These elements are shown through PLA’s chemical formula:
(C3H4O2)n. The “n” in this formula represents that the molecule in the parentheses can be
repeated to create a long chain-like molecule called a polymer. PLA, like all polymers, are
made up of many monomers. PLA’s monomer is comprised of two oxygen atoms bonded to
one methyl group. Methyl groups are three hydrogen atoms bonded to one carbon atom, they
are both stable and very common in organic compounds. The methyl groups and oxygen
found in PLA come from lactic acid produced from fermented corn or other vegetables.
PLA’s monomer is similar in composition to that of lactic acid, hence the polymer name
polylactide or polylactic acid.

In a polymer, many of these monomers (in fact even thousands) can bond together to
essentially create a long, chain-like molecule. This molecule is then “capped off”. On the
ends of a PLA molecule are, on one side: two oxygen atoms, a methyl group, and a hydroxide
ion (OH), and on the other side: an oxygen atom, a methyl group and a hydroxyl group (HO).
Both hydroxide and hydroxyl serve as catalysts in many biological reactions and typically
“cap off” biopolymers. In fact, in the lab scientists can determine how long a polymer chain
will be by adding these caps. In doing so, they can alter the number of monomers in the
polymer, also known as the degree of polymerization. Polymers with different degrees tend to
have different properties, this is why some plastics are far stronger, flexible, or more heat
resistant than others. In fact, two polymers with the exact same monomer composition but
with different degrees of polymerization can exhibit different qualities!
The admirable quality of PLA is that its composition is very similar to that of PET (a fossil-
fuel based plastic)--both are comprised of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen and share a the
string-like polymer structure, however PET’s monomers come from the methyl groups in oil,
whereas PLA’s monomers come from the methyl groups in plants.
Chemistry's Role / Background Research
Polymers are not completely straight lines, in fact, plastics are rather a tangled mess of string-
like polymers. In this tangled mess, molecules bind to each other as a result of entanglement
and cohere into plastic. This also explains plastic’s ability to melt and remelt. When these
tangles of polymers are heated, the bonds within each polymer begin to fail, creating a “soup”
of monomers. When cooled, these monomers once again form polymers which bind together.
This process also explains why chemists are even able to create plastics.
PLA is created by first harvesting dextrose (a carbohydrate found in many starchy
vegetables) from corn. Then using bacteria, chemists ferment the dextrose to produce lactic
acid. This lactic acid provides the main ingredients for the “monomer soup”, which chemists
then heat to create PLA. Scientists may also use certain additives like glycerin, to alter the
consistency of the plastic. Additionally, as mentioned early, chemists can alter the length of
the polymer chains to achieve certain plastic qualities.

Bioplastic Applications

Bioplastic Packaging

In relation to the production of packaging, conventional plastics are being replaced by

bioplastics at a rapid pace. There’s a big demand for bioplastic packaging and it is the largest
segment of the European bioplastic market – estimated at around 44% of 2.05 million tonnes
in 2017.
Bioplastic packaging options include bags for compost, agricultural foils, horticultural
products, nursery products, toys and textiles. They are also often used for disposable cups,
salad bowls, plates, clingfilm and food containers.

The development of sophisticated bioplastic packaging for food products has greatly
improved the shelf life of the food and its use helps brands to connect with their customer’s
by showing they are conscious of their environmental footprint. However, the vast majority
of current packaging still comes from traditional plastics and ends up in landfills – which is a
situation that governments intend to address and reverse. (Also for this motive, many
companies are looking at antimicrobial additives for plastics as an approach to this issue

Bioplastics for Consumer Electronics

The electronics industry has made big strides in tackling its environmental impact, largely
through producing more energy efficient devices and through more efficient recycling
options for electronic waste. Most recently it has started to address the sustainability of the
materials it uses in its products.

Bioplastics provide the electronic industry with an excellent opportunity to improve their
environmental credentials as they can be injection moulded with similar characteristics to
traditional plastics without modifying any machinery.

Electronical product casings, circuit boards and data storage are all traditionally made from
oil-derived plastics – and the plastic helps keep the products lightweight and durable. So
obviously there’s an opportunity to switch these components over. But there’s plenty of other
opportunities too, including touch screen computer casings, loud speakers, headphones,
keyboards, mobile phone casings, laptops, games consoles and vacuum cleaners.

Medical

Nontoxic biodegradable bioplastics sutures, commonly referred to as stitches, are now being
used by medical professionals in hospitals and surgeries. They are easy to sterilise, robust and
remain in place until the tissue has healed at which time they are the dissolved by the body
leaving no marks behind.Biodegradable plastics are also being used for medical devices. For
example, pins, tacks and screws which are used to help bones heal and during reconstructive
surgery are being produced with bioplastics.Containers for tablets and creams can also be
produced using bioplastic

Aerospace and Automotive

Transport is considered to be one of the greatest contributors to carbon emissions on a global

scale. The aerospace and auto industry are examining how they can design more sustainable
vehicles that cause less of an impact. The shift in these industries is being led by both
governments and consumers and new products such as hybrid cars are one of the most
exciting developments.Both industries invest a significant amount of resources investigating
how they can reduce the weight of their vehicles so that fuel consumption and emissions are
lower, and plastics are often a solution.
Cosmetics

The cosmetics industry is another big producer of packaging for its products. Many of these
products have a short life span once disposed of they end up in landfills. When you consider
the impact disposable products such as toothbrushes, hairbrushes, cotton buds and razors are
having – it’s no wonder that brands are starting to look towards alternatives.

Conclusion
Bioplastic is a better substitute for plastic, is environmental friendly ,
versatile and flexible as it can be used to fabricate numerous things. For a
sustainable living and a better and healthier future we all need to lessen
the use of plastic and use bioplastic as an alternative to save our
environment.