ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | JULY/AUGUST 2025 9 BIODEGRADABLE POLYMER SUPPORTS OCEAN HEALTH Researchers from Korea developed a new material that can be produced using existing methods and addresses the problem of nylon-based products such as fishing nets that are slow to degrade, especially in marine environments. The team includes scientists from the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), Inha University, and Sogang University. They made a high-performance polyester-amide (PEA) polymer that decomposes by over 92% in one year under real marine conditions, while maintaining strength and flexibility comparable to nylon. The new material is not only scalable and recyclable, but also applicable to a wide range of uses such as textiles, fishing nets, and food packaging. Unlike conventional biodegradable plastics that suffer from low durability and heat resistance, the PEA polymer combines ester (for biodegradability) and amide (for toughness) linkages in an optimized ratio. Researchers say the design offers both high degradability and mechanical durability. Marine biodegradability tests show that the new PEA achieves up to 92.1% degradation From left: Researchers Hyeonyeol Jeon, Sung-Bae Park, and Hyo Jeong Kim with their PEA yarns. Courtesy of KRICT. within one year, significantly outperforming other biodegradable plastics such as PLA (0.1%), PBS (35.9%), and PBAT (21.1%). The tensile strength of the PEA yarn reaches up to 110 MPa, surpassing that of both nylon 6 and PET. During experiments, a single PEA fiber strand was able to lift a 10 kg object without breaking. When woven into fabrics, it withstood ironing at 150°C, demonstrating its high thermal resistance. The team is now evaluating the material for commercialization, with a goal of industrial adoption within two years. “The key achievement is that this material overcomes the limitations of conventional biodegradable plastics while offering nylon-level performance,” says researcher Sung-Bae Park of KRICT. www.nst.re.kr. • Extraordinarily high shear and peel strength •Room temperature curing • Superior electrical insulation properties • Optically clear Adhesive for High Performance Structural Bonding www.masterbond.com Hackensack, NJ 07601 USA +1.201.343.8983 • main@masterbond.com Epoxy EP31 1016LK_3.25x4.875_EP31.indd 1 12/7/11 10:06 PM
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