Research Develops Biodegradable Plastic from Prawn Shell and Silkworms-based Protein

Angelina worked with a CSIRO mentor to develop a completely biodegradable plastic made from prawn shell and sticky protein from the silk of silkworms. 

New Research to Curb Environmental Issues

Now, Angelina and her shrimp bioplastic will be representing Australia at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania alongside over 1,800 high school students from 75 countries, regions, and territories.

After becoming a finalist in the 2017 BHP Billiton Foundation Science and Engineering Awards for her research into the commercial viability of bioplastics, she decided to refine her research and worked with a CSIRO mentor.

Innovator to Market Award

It was this research that won her the Innovator to Market Award in the 2018 BHP Billiton Foundation Science and Engineering Awards, a partnership between the BHP Billiton Foundation, CSIRO and the Australian Science Teachers Association.

Angelina said her project was inspired by being asked to pay for a plastic bag at a shop which prompted her to think of a way people could still have the convenience of plastic, without the harmful environmental effects.

"I'm driven by wanting to help – whether it's people, the environment or animals. It was amazing after months of research that I found a plastic that was suitable," she said.

"I was always a curious child asking why things work and this developed into a love of science. I believe science is the key to all the worlds' mysteries."

"I couldn't imagine a future where it isn't part of my life. I think I'd like to go into medicine as it is all about helping people."

Angelina will be in good company at ISEF with 2018 BHP Billiton Foundation Science and Engineering Awards student finalists Caitlin Roberts, Kavinya Welikala, Ella Cuthbert, Cassandra Dods, Ashley Cain and teacher winner Adele Hudson also representing Australia at the fair.

All of their projects will be on show at the competition.

Rapidly Changing Future

CSIRO Education and Outreach Director Mary Mulcahy said showcasing Australia's brilliant science, technology, engineering and mathematics projects on the world stage was a key part in enabling Australia to adapt for a rapidly changing future.

"The world is changing faster than many of us can keep up with, but science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) can guide that future through innovation," Ms Mulcahy said.

"These students are showing on a world stage that Australian students are prepared more than ever for the future."

The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF), a program of Society for Science & the Public is the world's largest international pre-college science competition. Each year over 1800 high school students from more than 75 countries, regions, and territories are awarded the opportunity to showcase their independent research and compete for on average $4 million in prizes. The BHP Billiton Foundation and Intel Foundation provide support for the BHP Billiton Foundation Science and Engineering Awards Australian delegation attending the fair.

Source: CSIRO

Bio-fabrication of Nanocellulosic 3D Structures – A New Facile & Customizable Way

Bacterial cellulose (BC) nanofibers are promising building blocks for the development of sustainable materials with the potential to outperform conventional synthetic materials. BC, one of the purest forms of nanocellulose, is produced at the interface between the culture medium and air, where the aerobic bacteria have access to oxygen. Biocompatibility, biodegradability, high thermal stability and mechanical strength are some of the unique properties that facilitate BC adoption in food, cosmetics and biomedical applications including tissue regeneration, implants, wound dressing, burn treatment and artificial blood vessels.

Bacterial Cellulose Nanofibers for Biomedical Applications

In the study published in Materials Horizons researchers at Aalto University have developed a simple and customizable process that uses super-hydrophobic interfaces to finely engineer the bacteria access to oxygen in three dimensions and in multiple length scales, resulting in hollow, seamless, nanocellulose-based pre-determined objects.

Professor Orlando Rojas, explained:
“The developed process is an easy and accessible platform for 3D bio-fabrication that we demonstrated for the synthesis of geometries with excellent fidelity. Fabrication of hollow and complex objects was made possible. Interesting functions were enabled via multi-compartmentalization and encapsulation. For example, we tested in situ loading of functional particles or enzymes with metal organic frameworks, metal nanoparticles with plasmon adsorption, and capsule-in-capsule systems with thermal and chemical resistance.”

Future Benefits

This facilitated bio-fabrication can be explored in new ways by the biomedical field through scaffolding of artificial organs. Advances in bioengineering, for instance by genome editing or co-culture of microorganisms, might also allow further progress towards the simplified formation of composite materials of highly controlled composition, properties and functions.
 

Source: Aalto University

Total Corbion PLA Launches New Full Stereocomplex PLA Tech. for Industrial Applications

Total Corbion PLA has announced the launch of a novel technology that can create full stereocomplex PLA in a broad range of industrial applications. The proprietary technology will enable PLA applications able to withstand temperatures close to 200°C (HDT-A). Samples of glass fiber reinforced stereocomplex PLA will be made available to those wanting to test the new technology for their applications.

Breakthrough in PLA Temperature Resistance

The new technology enables stereocomplex PLA – a material with long, regularly interlocking polymer chains that enable an even higher heat resistance than standard PLA. 
This breakthrough in PLA temperature resistance unlocks a range of new application possibilities, and provides a biobased replacement for PBT and PA glass fiber reinforced products. 
For example, injection molded applications for under-the-hood automotive components can now be made from glass fiber reinforced stereocomplex PLA, offering both a higher biobased content and a reduced carbon footprint. 
The technology can offer these same sustainability benefits to the wider automotive, aerospace, electronics, home appliance, marine and construction industries.

Commercializing New Technology

Stefan Barot, Senior Business Director Asia Pacific, said:
“Over the past decades, the benefits of full stereocomplex PLA have been studied by universities and R&D departments on a laboratory scale. Now, Total Corbion PLA is the first company to scale up this technology and make it available for a broad range of industrial applications. The technology enables full stereocomplex morphology not only in the lab environment but also in commercial production facilities.” 

Commercial samples of full stereocomplex PLA will soon be made available for customer evaluation. Total Corbion PLA is looking for brand owners, converters and compounders that wish to validate and capitalize on this new technology.

Sandia's first 3D printed wind turbine blade mold wins national Technology Focus Award

We’ve reported before on the pioneering 3D printing work of Sandia National Laboratories, one of the Department of Energy’s main research and development facilities. Sandia has been working on improving energy technology, with a particular focus on sustainability, and 3D printing has become a key focus. 3D printed solar panels were explored last year, and the lab has been researching 3D printed wind turbines for a while now. Sandia recently won the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer’s national 2018 Technology Focus Award, for developing the first wind turbine blades fabricated from a 3D printed mold.

Wind energy is one of the most promising sources in terms of sustainability and reliability, but the turbine technology used is still imperfect. The size of the average turbine blade means that testing and prototyping can be prohibitively expensive and time-consuming. 3D printing could solve this issue due to its improved design flexibility and speed of production when compared to conventional casting methods.

To fabricate the turbine blades, Sandia teamed up with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a leader in the field of 3D printing, as well as TPI Composites, the nation’s largest independent manufacturer of wind turbine blades. "The wind department at Sandia has expertise in designing blades, but our group doesn’t work with additive manufacturing," said Sandia researcher Josh Paquette. "This project was an opportunity to combine expertise from two laboratories and an industry adviser that could immediately bring this knowledge into the private sector."

Using 3D printing technology enables the prototyping phase for new turbine blades to be drastically shortened. Conventional methods for making a mold were incredibly time-consuming and labour-intensive, and each new prototype mold would take around 16 months to complete, before the blade could eventually be built and tests carried out on it. 3D printing the mold instead has cut this time down to just three months.

The wind turbine that was fabricated by Sandia and partners was a relatively small one, 13 meters (42.6 ft) in length. Sandia led the design phase of producing the blade, which included an assessment of the feasibility of using additive manufacturing. TPI were consulted about the mechanical parameters, and performed the structural CAD design required to successfully mold the blade. ORNL then 3D printed the mold in several sections, in just two weeks. The final assembly and manufacturing of the blade itself was carried out at TPI.

The collaborative, digital approach enabled total production time to be reduced by over a year. In future, this will lead to a reduction in costs and create opportunities for engineers to design more freely and test their ideas more extensively. The kind of risks that could now be taken will allow for more innovation and more potential improvements in energy efficiency.

The winners of the Technology Focus Award were honored on April 25, 2018, at an award ceremony at the Federal Laboratory Consortium’s national meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Sandia received the award for its collaborative approach to solving a pressing industry problem. Sandia was also given the FLC’s Excellence in Technology Transfer Award for advanced nanomaterial window films, which could save consumers billions in energy costs each year.

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Korean Researchers Develop New Underwater Adhesives with Superior Toughness

A Korean research team, affiliated with UNIST has presented a new type of underwater adhesives that are tougher than the natural biological glues that mussels normally use to adhere to rocks, ships, and larger sea critters.

Innovative Tougher Underwater Adhesives

This has attracted much attention as a technology that surpass the limits of conventional chemical-based adhesives that significantly lose adhesion capability when exposed to moisture or when reused.

This breakthrough has been led by Professor Hoon-Eui Jeong in the School of Mechanical Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering and his research team at UNIST.

According to the research team, stable adhesion between surfaces under wet conditions is highly desirable for many practical applications, particularly in the bioengineering and medical fields, where most surfaces are wet.

However, limitations in complicated surface treatment and expensive protocols restrain the extensive use of these natural protein adhesives. Furthermore, they are typically permanent adhesives, and therefore, have limitations for application as a reversible and reusable adhesive.

Wet-responsive and Flexible Hydrogel Adhesives

Professor Jeong solved such issues using the simple hydrogel microstructures alone. In the study, the research team presented a wet-responsive, shape-reconfigurable and flexible hydrogel adhesives that exhibit strong adhesion under wet environments based on reversible interlocking between reconfigurable microhook arrays.

• The microhooks of the adhesive were designed to exhibit a unique structural configuration with protruding heads
• The adhesion between the interlocked microhook arrays is greatly enhanced under wet conditions because of the hydration-triggered shape reconfiguration of the hydrogel microstructures 
• Furthermore, this water-responsive shape change was reversible and the microstructure can recover its original shape and size upon water removal by drying

“These adhesives take the form of thin flexible films with bioinspired mushroom-shaped micropillars uniformly spread on the surface of microstructure,” says Hyun-Ha Park in the Ph.D. program of Mechanical Engineering, the first author of the study.

“When the interlocked arrays are exposed to water, a notable volume expansion of a corresponding shape transformation of the hydrogel microhooks occurred by the swelling of the hydrogel, resulting in significantly increased wet adhesion both in the shear and normal directions.”

Efficient Route to Strong and Reversible Wet Adhesion

The research team notes, “In contrast to other wet binding systems, the current interlocking mechanism does not involve any complicated surface treatment or chemical moieties, thus allowing for a simple yet efficient route to strong and reversible wet adhesion in a cost-effective manner.”

“The surface of the conventional chemical adhesives softens or dissolves when exposed to moisture or water, which can lead to a significant decrease in adhesive bond strength or loss of adhesion over time,” says Professor Jeong.

“This wet-responsive and reversible hydrogel interlocking adhesive can serve as a robust and versatile wet adhesive for a broad range of applications which require stable and strong adhesion under diverse wet conditions,” Professor Jeong adds.

Source: UNIST

TPE Compounds Gain Popularity as More Feasible Option in Medical Applications

Recent regulatory and market drivers, including cost pressures, are generating a material choice debate about polyvinyl chloride (PVC), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) and rubber materials, according to Colorite, a Tekni-Plex business unit specializing in custom medical-grade compounds. 



TPE-replaces PVC
Many companies are trying to proactively address new regulatory dynamics, both in the United States and in many other global regions. Pressure is being applied by healthcare systems that are already implementing strategic initiatives for phthalate-free patient environments. TPEs are being viewed as a replacement for PVC in applications where phthalate- or plasticizer-free materials are desired. Globally, IV therapy producers are among the first in the medical device industry to transition from PVC to TPE materials. 

TPE-replaces Thermoset Rubbers
TPEs also are replacing thermoset rubbers (silicone, polyisoprene and butyl rubber) used in elastomeric medical applications such as septa, stoppers and syringe plungers. The drivers for rubber replacement are improved processing, cost effectiveness and low extractables. 

TPEs – For better Performance
More recently TPEs also have been used to improve ergonomics, protection and/or function. 
TPEs are ideal for overmolding which provides a softer touch and improved ergonomics (such as grip) for a variety of surgical tools and devices. 
This can improve instrument control and fatigue reduction during long procedures for medical professionals. 

Colorite’s Cellene® TPE Line
Colorite’s Cellene® line of TPEs are suitable for a wide variety of uses in medical devices, packaging and other regulated markets. Cellene® compounds are formulated to be silicone, latex, phthalate, halogen and PVC-free using FDA-compliant raw materials to meet USP Class VI and ISO 10993 standards.

Source: Colorite, a Tekni-Plex 

Solvay’s Advanced PEEK Filaments Enable High-performance 3D Printed Parts Simulation

Solvay further established itself as one of the emerging leaders in specialty polymers for additive manufacturing (AM) with the news that high-performance KetaSpire® PEEK AM filament will be the first polyetheretherketone polymer included in e-Xstream engineering’s Digimat® simulation software due for launch in June 2018. 

Specialty Polymers for Simulation 3D Printing Platform:

Christophe Schramm, business manager for additive manufacturing at Solvay’s Specialty Polymers global business unit, said:

“KetaSpire® PEEK’s inclusion in Digimat® represents Solvay’s latest step toward becoming the industry’s leading resource for successfully applying advanced polymers in 3D printing processes. Solvay is building on its long-standing partnership with e-Xstream engineering to quickly expand the number of specialty polymers available for simulation on the Digimat® platform, and ultimately enable our customers to ‘print it right the first time’ when using Solvay’s high-performing thermoplastics.”
Digimat® for 3D Printed Parts:

Part of the latest edition of Digimat® 2018.1, Digimat® for Additive Manufacturing will enable designers and engineers to accurately predict warpage and residual stresses of 3D printed KetaSpire® PEEK parts as a function of additive manufacturing processes, such as fused filament fabrication (FFF). With Digimat® for Additive Manufacturing, users can further optimize their process and minimize part deformation before 3D printing their parts. Digimat® 2018.1 is due for global release this June, but Solvay customers can contact Solvay today to benefit from the new dataset describing KetaSpire® PEEK’s material laws.

KetaSpire® PEEK AM Filament:

Widely regarded as one of the highest-performing thermoplastic polymers, KetaSpire® PEEK AM filament offers superior mechanical strength and chemical resistance for 3D-printed parts. 

Source: Solvay

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