The research study, published in Nature Sustainability, introduces a novel method for producing polyamides– a class of plastics understood for their strength and resilience, the most well-known of which are nylons– utilizing a sugar core obtained from agricultural waste.The new approach leverages a sustainable resource, and likewise accomplishes this transformation efficiently and with minimal environmental impact.Highly accurate extrusion of 3D-printing filament. Whats more, the products demonstrated considerable resilience through several cycles of mechanical recycling, preserving their integrity and performance, which is an important factor for managing the lifecycle of sustainable materials.The capacity applications for these innovative polyamides are large, varying from vehicle parts to consumer goods, all with a considerably reduced carbon footprint. Reference: “Performance polyamides developed on a sustainable carbohydrate core” by Lorenz P. Manker, Maxime A. Hedou, Clement Broggi, Marie J. Jones, Kristoffer Kortsen, Kalaiyarasi Puvanenthiran, Yildiz Kupper, Holger Frauenrath, François Marechal, Veronique Michaud, Roger Marti, Michael P. Shaver and Jeremy S. Luterbacher, 13 March 2024, Nature Sustainability.DOI: 10.1038/ s41893-024-01298-7Funding: Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), NCCR Catalysis, Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging, Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub.The production of these products is now being scaled up by the EPFL spin-off, Bloom Biorenewables, in an effort to get them into the market.
