"Liquid Wood" a Contender To Replace Plastic

Ostracus recommends a Christian Science Monitor piece on the 40-year quest to find a replacement for non-biodegradable plastic. One candidate, written off 20 years back but now developed to the point of practicality, is a formulation based on the lignin found in wood. And it turns out there is another strong environmental reason to put lignin to use in this way: burning it, which is its common fate today, releases the carbon dioxide that trees had sequestered. "Almost 40 years ago, American scientists took their first steps in a quest to break the world's dependence on plastics. But in those four decades, plastic products have become so cheap and durable that not even the forces of nature seem able to stop them. A soupy expanse of plastic waste — too tough for bacteria to break down — now covers an estimated 1 million square miles of the Pacific Ocean. ...[R]esearchers started hunting for a substitute for plastic's main ingredient, petroleum. They wanted something renewable, biodegradable, and abundant enough to be inexpensive."

Comments

Re:Calling this "liquid wood"

[ptx0]

Also, they have pills to fix this now.

Quote from TFA

[Tenebrousedge]

"The lignin itself was misunderstood completely by [leaders in the field] and the majority of people," says Simo Sarkanen, an environmental science professor at the University of Minnesota.

Does that sound like a mad scientist to anyone else? "My research has been completely misunderstood, but I will change the world! And then they'll see! They'll pay for their ignorance! MUAHAHAHAHA!"

Great, now they have to refilm The Graduate

[Quarters]

Mr. McGuire: I want to say one word to you. Just one word. Benjamin: Yes, sir. Mr. McGuire: Are you listening? Benjamin: Yes, I am. Mr. McGuire: Lignin. Benjamin: Exactly how do you mean? Mr. McGuire: There's a great future in lignin. Think about it. Will you think about it?

Next step

[jmknsd]

transparent aluminum.

Re:Lignin used to be the same way

[MrNaz]

Yea, these alarmists just like scaring people. The biosphere will evolve to deal with any problems we create today. This means that there's hope for our great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great grand children after all.

Re:Calling this "liquid wood"

[andrikos]

So this must be woot!

Re:Calling this "liquid wood"

[narcberry]

I thought that is what the pills were called.

Re:Lignin used to be the same way

[Siridar]

Reminds me of a George Carlin skit:

"Besides, there is nothing wrong with the planet. Nothing wrong with the planet. The planet is fine. The PEOPLE are fucked."

http://gospelofreason.wordpress.com/2007/05/24/george-carlin-the-planet-is-fine/

Re:Calling this "liquid wood"

[Plunky]

What happened to the machine that could "microwave" plastic to break it down into its components?

it was made of plastic :(

Re:CO2 is *FOOD* to Trees - NOT POLLUTION You Idio

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't suppose you would mind me dousing the interior of your car with gasoline? It's fuel, right?

Idiot.

elastic lad

[Elastic Lad]

What's wrong with aluminum? I like aluminum.

Re:Calling this "liquid wood"

[Rich0]

They mean precisely that, you take a carbohydrate, you introduce it to oxygen, it reduces to water and CO2, and energy is liberated.

Well, if you want to be technical, the carbohydrate is OXIDIZED to water and CO2. The oxygen is what is reduced to water and CO2. :)

And for the mods still not through high school - pay attention when you get to chemistry class and you'll understand...