ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | JANUARY 2026 13 SUSTAINABILITY BRIEF BIOBASED FILM MEETS PACKAGING NEEDS Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology developed a biologically based film made of natural ingredients found in plants, mushrooms, and food waste that can block moisture and oxygen as effectively as conventional plastics. The team worked for more than a decade to create environmentally friendly oxygen and water barriers for packaging. However, while the earlier research using biopolymers seemed promising, high humidity continued to weaken the barrier properties. The scientists achieved success by using a blend of cellulose, chitosan (derived from crustacean-based food waste or mushrooms), and citric acid from certain fruits. The barrier technology developed by the researchers consists of three main components: a carbohydrate polymer for structure, a plasticizer to maintain flexibility, and a water-repelling additive to resist moisture. When cast into thin films, the ingredients self-organize at the molecular level to form a dense, ordered structure that resists swelling or softening under high humidity. Even at 80% relative humidity, the films show extremely low oxygen permeability and water vapor transmission, matching or outperforming common plastics such as poly(ethylene terephthalate) and poly(ethylene vinyl alcohol). gatech.edu. NEW TEFLON RECYCLING METHOD Scientists from Newcastle University and the University of Birmingham, both in the U.K., developed a clean and energy-efficient way to recycle Teflon, a material well known for its use in nonstick coatings and other applications that require high chemical and thermal stability. The researchers found that waste Teflon can be broken down and repurposed using only sodium metal and mechanical energy—at room temperature and without toxic solvents. The new low-energy, waste-free method offers an alternative to conventional fluorine recycling. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), best known by the brand name Teflon, is prized for its resistance to heat and chemicals, making it ideal for cookware, electronics, and laboratory equipment. Yet those same properties make it almost impossible to recycle. When burned or incinerated, PTFE releases pollutants known as “forever chemicals” (PFAS), which remain in the environment for decades. Traditional disposal methods raise major environmental and health concerns. The researchers addressed this challenge using mechanochemistry, a green approach that drives chemical reactions by applying mechanical energy instead of heat. Inside a ball mill, sodium metal fragments are ground with Teflon, which causes them to react at room temperature. The process breaks the strong carbon-fluorine bonds, converting them into harmless carbon and sodium fluoride, a stable inorganic salt widely used in fluoride toothpastes. The researchers then showed that the sodium fluoride recovered in this way can be used directly, without purification, to create other valuable fluorine-containing molecules. These include compounds used in pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and other fine chemicals. www.ncl.ac.uk. In September 2025, the National Institute of Standards and Technology released a report outlining strategies to build a more efficient, sustainable, and resilient U.S. metals processing infrastructure, emphasizing the need for improved standards for recycled content and stronger supply chains for critical materials. Carelyn Campbell, FASM, and Mark Stoudt, FASM, are key authors. doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1500-32. A new biologically based film was engineered from natural ingredients found in plants, mushrooms, and food waste. Courtesy of Georgia Institute of Technology. This team developed a low-energy, wastefree alternative to conventional fluorine recycling. Courtesy of Newcastle University.
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