May_June_2022_AMP_Digital

1 7 A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | M A Y / J U N E 2 0 2 2 costs four times as much as conventional plastics); poor durability; and lack of awareness regarding best practices for disposal[20,21]. From an engineering perspective, it is possible to control strength and durability by focusing on microstructure and a design that incorporates additives such as plasticizers, multicomponent blends, and impact modifiers. Figure 5 shows the schematics of different types of microstructures that can be CHALLENGES AND RECOMMENDATIONS Some critical challenges facing the use of bioplastics include the following: low heat resistance; low strength (for example, starch is a hydrophilic additive that can weaken hydrophobic polymers); confusion between compostability and biodegradability (not all biodegradable materials are compostable); high cost (for example, PHA several car companies have made significant investments in the design and development of bioplastics and biocomposites-based components (Fig. 4). In 2018, a group of researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands designed a car completely made of biocomposites. The chassis was made of PLA and the car weighed just 360 kg (794 lb), roughly a quarter of the weight of a typical midsize car. Fig. 4 — Application timeline for automotive bioplastics[17-19].

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