Redesigned biopolymer solves thermal stability challenge
Chemical redesign makes PHAs easier to process and recycle
A chemical redesign turns a promising bio-derived polyester into a fully recyclable polymer that exhibits record thermal stability.
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), which are produced naturally by several bacteria, are a class of polyester that are promising candidates for new sustainable plastics. ‘The presence of ester bonds offers more possibilities for chemical recycling than polymers built around a hydrocarbon backbone,’ explains Antoine Buchard, a sustainable polymers researcher from the University of Bath , UK.