Plastic, which has become an important part of our lives nowadays, helps us in many everyday tasks due to its durability and strength. But when the same plastic reaches the environment, it becomes a big crisis. Traditional plastic takes a lot of time to break down and poses a threat to our water sources and wildlife in the form of microplastics. To deal with this problem, scientists in Japan have taken a revolutionary step, in which now plastic that dissolves in salt water has been prepared.
What is special about this new plastic?
A team of researchers at the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS) in Japan has developed a plastic that maintains its strength and durability during use, but as soon as it comes into salt water, it quickly dissolves and turns into harmless compounds. This means that if this plastic accidentally reaches the environment, it will be easily destroyed, which will greatly reduce its impact on the environment.
How does this new plastic work?
To make this plastic, researchers have used supramolecular plastics-polymers that have a special type of reversible cross-linking structure. To create this structure, scientists mixed two ionic monomers, which form a salt bridge. This salt bridge gives the plastic strength and flexibility. One of the monomers, which is a common food additive sodium hexametaphosphate, and the other guanidinium ion-based monomer, can be easily metabolized by bacteria. When this plastic comes into the environment, it biodegrades by breaking down into its components.
Big discovery made: Desalting process
The researchers discovered a key step in this plastic, called “desalting.” Without this, the plastic would become brittle and break, making it unusable. But when it was immersed in salt water and salt was added again, it destabilized the structure of the plastic, and within a few hours it became easily soluble. This process not only makes the plastic stronger, but also makes it easily degradable in natural elements. As a result, this plastic can provide a big relief to the environment.
What’s next?
The development of this new plastic has shown scientists a new direction, which can reduce the environmental impact of plastic in the future. This plastic can prove to be an important step in areas where plastic is used more, such as packaging, agriculture, and other everyday items. This effort by the researchers at the RIKEN Center proves that unless we take revolutionary steps to protect our environment, we will not be able to solve the global plastic crisis. This discovery will not only give a new direction to the plastic industry, but it will also help in reducing our environmental impact.
This new saltwater soluble plastic is a ray of hope for the environment. Unlike conventional plastics, it not only maintains its strength but also becomes safe for the environment by dissolving in saltwater. If this new technology is implemented all over the world, it can play an important role in controlling plastic pollution.
