Hemp-based thermoplastic offers a greener alternative to plastic packaging
As the global pollution crisis caused by manufacturing and disposing of single-use plastics continues to grow, researchers have developed a non-toxic plastic alternative derived from the hemp plantโa non-psychoactive type of cannabis. In a study published in Chem Circularity, a team of scientists and engineers demonstrates a stretchy, hemp-derived thermoplastic that can extend up to 1,600% of its size. The material has a high "glass transition temperature," a quality that allows plastics to stay dry and durable when they come into contact with boiling hot water. "Very few, if any, plastics made from natural resources have this quality," says author Gregory Sotzing of the University of Connecticut. "Current day polycarbonate is made from bisphenol-A, a known endocrine disruptor. The hope here is that cannabidiol (CBD) can take the place of bisphenol-A found in today's processed plastics," said Sotzing, referring to the main chemical compound found in the hemp flower.
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