Researchers report a simple method to convert food waste into cellulose-based plastics of varying thermal and mechanical properties (Macromolecules 2014, DOI: 10.1021/ma5008557).

Most synthetic plastics have environmental concerns: They’re petroleum-based; they can’t biodegrade; or they potentially contain toxic compounds such as phthalates. Ilker S. Bayer, Athanassia Athanassiou, and their colleagues at the Italian Institute of Technology have sought ways to make plastics from biomass so that the materials are renewable, biodegradable, and possibly less toxic. One potential feedstock is cellulose, which, as a component of plant cell walls, is nature’s most abundant renewable polymer.

In their new plastic-making method, the researchers turned to a technique that’s normally used to break down cellulose into simpler sugars for biofuel production: soaking the material in acid. Because the researchers only wanted to break apart the cellulose’s crystalline structure—and not convert it into simple sugars—the team used trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), which isn’t as strong as acids used in biofuel applications.

The team used TFA to soak inedible waste from four food crops: spinach, rice, cocoa beans, and parsley. After several days of soaking, the researchers removed the volatile acid, yielding plastic coatings and films with a variety of mechanical properties. These materials have tensile strengths similar to synthetic polymers such as polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene, the researchers say. The plant-waste plastics start to thermally degrade at temperatures between 150 and 300 ºC, which is similar to the range for synthetic polymers.

參考譯文：
農產品加工過程中會產生大量不適合食用的廢料
，例如米糠、果殼
、lvyeleishucainanyishiyongdejingdengdeng。zhexiefeiliaodezhuyaochengfenshixianweisu
，zheshiyizhongyouzhelianghaojixiexingnengdetianrangaofenzi，zaixuduochanghekeyidaitirengonghechengdesuliao。danshi

，zhiwuzhongdexianweisutongchangyijingtidexingshicunzai，jiagongbijiaokunnan。

來自意大利的研究人員近日發現，隻要將這些廢料浸泡在一種常見的有機酸——三(san)氟(fu)乙(yi)酸(suan)中(zhong)，廢(fei)料(liao)中(zhong)的(de)纖(xian)維(wei)素(su)的(de)晶(jing)體(ti)形(xing)態(tai)就(jiu)會(hui)逐(zhu)漸(jian)被(bei)破(po)壞(huai)，纖(xian)維(wei)素(su)得(de)以(yi)溶(rong)解(jie)在(zai)三(san)氟(fu)乙(yi)酸(suan)中(zhong)，便(bian)於(yu)進(jin)一(yi)步(bu)的(de)加(jia)工(gong)。利(li)用(yong)這(zhe)種(zhong)方(fang)法(fa)
，研(yan)究(jiu)人(ren)員(yuan)成(cheng)功(gong)將(jiang)多(duo)種(zhong)農(nong)產(chan)品(pin)加(jia)工(gong)過(guo)程(cheng)中(zhong)產(chan)生(sheng)的(de)廢(fei)料(liao)轉(zhuan)化(hua)為(wei)塑(su)料(liao)，其(qi)機(ji)械(xie)強(qiang)度(du)、熱re穩wen定ding性xing等deng性xing能neng均jun可ke以yi媲pi美mei常chang見jian的de合he成cheng塑su料liao，而er且qie廢fei棄qi後hou可ke以yi在zai微wei生sheng物wu的de作zuo用yong下xia逐zhu漸jian降jiang解jie。這zhe項xiang研yan究jiu提ti供gong了le以yi可ke再zai生sheng的de生sheng物wu資zi源yuan為wei原yuan料liao生sheng產chan塑su料liao的de一yi種zhong新xin方fang法fa
，有you助zhu於yu減jian輕qing塑su料liao製zhi品pin的de生sheng產chan對dui於yu化hua石shi能neng源yuan的de依yi賴lai以yi及ji對dui環huan境jing的de破po壞huai。

原始來源：http://cen.acs.org/articles/92/web/2014/07/Simple-Acid-Soak-Turns-Food.html