Professor Yasuo Onishi, Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, Professor Tatsuo Kaneko, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Technology, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Professor Chiaki Ogino, Graduate School of Engineering, Kobe University, Professor Naoki Takatani, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, etc. Research group has succeeded in developing a plastic with the highest heat resistance in history using paper pulp as a raw material.
According to the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, biomass-related plastics are desired for the construction of a sound-cycle society, but conventional biomass-related plastics have low heat resistance and their applications are limited.
The research group focused on polybenzimidazole (* 1), which has high heat resistance.While developing a system that efficiently saccharifies pulp and paper and produces a saccharified solution containing a high concentration of glucose, the compound that is the raw material of polybenzimidazole is produced from the pulp and paper saccharified solution using Corine bacteria using gene recombination technology. , Purified to high purity.
Furthermore, we found that the heat resistance was greatly improved by the copolymerization of polybenzimidazole and aramid fiber raw material, and succeeded in developing the highest heat resistant plastic in history.
This new plastic has excellent strength and light weight, and is expected to be used for various purposes such as automobile bodies and building materials.It is also expected to contribute to energy reduction, de-oiling, and the realization of a low-carbon society.
* 1 Polybenzimidazole A type of polybenzazole, which is a highly heat-resistant polymer, and is a general term for polymers containing benzimidazole in the unit.
Paper information:[Advanced Sustainable Systems] Ultrahigh Thermoresistant Lightweight Bioplastics Developed from Fermentation Products of Cellulosic Feedstock
