Composition for manufacturing eco-friendly plastic and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a composition for manufacturing eco-friendly plastics and a method for manufacturing the same, and more specifically, to a composition for manufacturing eco-friendly plastics and a method for manufacturing the same comprising: a biodegradable plastic; and a porous skeleton extracted from a starfish, wherein the starfish comprises one or more species of starfish selected from the group consisting of Asterias amurensis, Asterina pectinifera, Ophiuroidea, and Centonardoa semiregularis.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a composition for manufacturing eco-friendly plastics and a method for manufacturing the same. More specifically, it relates to a composition for manufacturing eco-friendly plastics capable of exhibiting excellent biodegradability and durability by adding a porous skeleton extracted from starfish to bioplastics, and a method for manufacturing the same. Background Technology

[0002] General-purpose plastics such as PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) and PS (Poly Styrene) pose a problem of environmental pollution because systematic management after use is difficult and they take decades to centuries to decompose. Currently, plastic waste is incinerated as a disposal method; however, this process releases highly toxic substances like dioxins into the air, causing atmospheric and soil pollution, and physical decomposition occurs at the particle level before chemical degradation takes place, leading to the problem of microplastics.

[0003] Among various plastic products, seedling trays are used for cultivating crops; generally, the method primarily used involves filling the tray with soil and sowing seeds. Since these trays are typically made of synthetic resin and manufactured from general-purpose plastic, there is a problem in that they are left in nature as agricultural waste after use. Because seedling trays left in nature do not decompose naturally, it is necessary to separate the seedlings from the trays during transplanting to plant them in the ground. This process consumes agricultural labor, causing inconvenience and incurring additional costs.

[0004] Meanwhile, since the beginning of the 2020s, rapid climate change has led to the overpopulation of species such as the Amur starfish in the domestic marine ecosystem. Starfish have no natural predators and cause damage to aquatic life, with the resulting damage estimated to be over 300 billion won annually. Furthermore, starfish have very low utility, resulting in an additional annual cost of over 6 billion won for their incineration.

[0005] Accordingly, the inventors have completed the present invention, an eco-friendly plastic manufacturing technology that uses a biodegradable plastic that does not emit harmful substances during the decomposition process as the main material and adds starfish skeletal components—which have adverse effects on the ecosystem and are difficult to dispose of—as a filler, thereby allowing the plastic to decompose safely through natural chemical decomposition within a short period in the soil and function as compost after decomposition. Prior art literature

[0006] Korean Patent Publication KR 10-2011-0067477 The problem to be solved

[0007] The present invention aims to solve the problems of the aforementioned conventional technology by manufacturing an eco-friendly plastic using a composition for manufacturing eco-friendly plastic comprising a biodegradable bioplastic and a porous skeleton extracted from a starfish, so that the plastic naturally decomposes within a short period and fertilizes the soil after decomposition.

[0008] In addition, the present invention aims to reduce costs and improve durability while utilizing the biodegradability of bioplastics by adding a porous skeleton extracted from starfish as a filler to bioplastics, which are expensive and have low durability. means of solving the problem

[0009] To achieve the aforementioned technical objectives, the present invention discloses a composition for manufacturing an eco-friendly plastic comprising: a biodegradable plastic; and a porous skeleton extracted from a starfish, wherein the starfish comprises one or more species of starfish selected from the group consisting of the Amur starfish (Asterias amurensis), the star starfish (Asterina pectinifera), the spider starfish (Ophiuroidea), and the red starfish (Centonardoa semiregularis).

[0010] Here, the biodegradable plastic may comprise one or more bioplastics selected from the group consisting of polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), and polybutylene succinate (PBS).

[0011] Here, the biodegradable plastic may contain polylactic acid.

[0012] Here, the above starfish may include a starfish.

[0013] Here, the porous framework may be included in an amount of 0.1 to 10 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the composition.

[0014] Meanwhile, to achieve the aforementioned technical objectives, the present invention further discloses a method for manufacturing an eco-friendly plastic composition comprising: a step of mixing a basic solution and a starfish to form a starfish mixture; a step of extracting and filtering a porous skeleton from the starfish mixture; and a step of adding the porous skeleton to a biodegradable plastic solution; wherein the starfish comprises one or more species of starfish selected from the group consisting of Amur starfish (Asterias amurensis), star starfish (Asterina pectinifera), spider starfish (Ophiuroidea), and red starfish (Centonardoa semiregularis).

[0015] Here, the basic solution may include one or more basic substances selected from sodium hypochlorite (NaClO2) and sodium chlorite (NaClO).

[0016] Here, for every 100 parts by weight of the basic solution, the basic substance may be included in an amount of 1 to 10 parts by weight.

[0017] Meanwhile, in order to achieve the aforementioned technical objectives, the present invention further discloses an eco-friendly plastic formed by the above-described composition for manufacturing eco-friendly plastic.

[0018] Here, the elastic modulus of the eco-friendly plastic is 1 to 10 N / mm 2 It could be. Effects of the invention

[0019] The disclosed technology may have the following effects. However, this does not mean that a specific embodiment must include all of the following effects or only the following effects; therefore, the scope of the rights of the disclosed technology should not be understood as being limited by this.

[0020] According to the present invention, by manufacturing an eco-friendly plastic using a composition for manufacturing eco-friendly plastic comprising a biodegradable bioplastic and a porous skeleton extracted from a starfish, the plastic naturally decomposes within a short period and can fertilize the soil after decomposition.

[0021] In addition, according to the present invention, by adding a porous skeleton extracted from a starfish as a filler to bioplastics that are expensive and have low durability, it is possible to reduce costs and improve durability while utilizing the biodegradability of the bioplastics. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0022] FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing an eco-friendly plastic composition according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a photograph of an eco-friendly plastic seedling tray according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a photograph showing the results of measuring the decomposition of an eco-friendly plastic film according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a photograph showing the measurement results of the elastic modulus of an eco-friendly plastic film according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 is a graph showing the measurement results of the elastic modulus of an eco-friendly plastic according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0023] The present invention is capable of various modifications and may have various embodiments, and specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. However, this is not intended to limit the invention to specific embodiments, and it should be understood that the invention includes all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0024] Similar reference numerals are used for similar components when describing each drawing. Terms such as "first," "second," etc., may be used to describe various components, but said components should not be limited by said terms. These terms are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

[0025] For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component may be named the second component, and similarly, the second component may be named the first component. The term "and / or" includes a combination of a plurality of related described items or any of a plurality of related described items.

[0026] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as generally understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains.

[0027] Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having meanings consistent with their meanings in the context of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in this application.

[0028] Throughout this specification, when a part is described as "comprising" a certain component, this means that, unless specifically stated otherwise, it does not exclude other components but may include additional components.

[0029] As used herein, terms of degree such as “about,” “substantially,” etc., are used to mean at or near the stated value when inherent manufacturing and material tolerances are presented in the stated meaning, and are used to prevent unscrupulous infringers from unfairly exploiting the disclosure in which precise or absolute values ​​are mentioned to aid in understanding the invention. Furthermore, throughout this specification, “a step of” or “a step of” does not mean “a step for”.

[0030] Throughout this specification, the term “combination thereof” included in the Markush-type expression means one or more mixtures or combinations selected from the group consisting of the components described in the Markush-type expression, and means including one or more selected from the group consisting of said components.

[0032] Composition for manufacturing eco-friendly plastics

[0033] The present specification discloses a composition for manufacturing an eco-friendly plastic, comprising: a biodegradable plastic; and a porous skeleton extracted from a starfish, wherein the starfish comprises one or more species of starfish selected from the group consisting of Asterias amurensis, Asterina pectinifera, Ophiuroidea, and Centonardoa semiregularis.

[0034] The above-mentioned biodegradable plastic may include one or more bioplastics selected from the group consisting of polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), and polybutylene succinate (PBS), but is not limited thereto. Any bioplastic with excellent biodegradability may be applied as the above-mentioned biodegradable plastic. The above-mentioned polylactic acid is a biodegradable bioplastic extracted from corn starch or sugarcane, the above-mentioned polyhydroxyalkanoate is a biodegradable bioplastic produced by microorganisms, and the above-mentioned polybutylene succinate is a biodegradable bioplastic that can be produced from petroleum or bio-based raw materials. Bio-polyethylene (Bio-PE) or bio-polyethylene tephthalate (Bio-PET) are not suitable as they are bioplastics obtained from plant-based raw materials such as sugarcane or possess non-biodegradable characteristics. The aforementioned polylactic acid, polyhydroxyalkanoate, and polybutylene succinate have a higher adoption rate compared to other biodegradable bioplastics and exhibit excellent biodegradability, and can be decomposed more effectively under specific conditions, particularly in industrial composting facilities.

[0035] The above-mentioned biodegradable plastic preferably contains polylactic acid. Since the polylactic acid is transparent and has high strength compared to other biodegradable bioplastics and does not require a high-temperature process, it can supply sufficient sunlight to seedlings while having relatively high durability compared to other biodegradable plastics. Therefore, when manufactured into a seedling tray, it is less prone to damage during the seedling cultivation process and can effectively perform seedling cultivation functions while exhibiting excellent biodegradability.

[0036] The above-mentioned starfish contains a large amount of natural calcium carbonate in its body, and since the porous skeleton is composed of a honeycomb-shaped porous structure that contains a large amount of calcium carbonate while having excellent absorption capacity for oil and moisture, the low durability of the bioplastic can be improved by adding the porous skeleton to the bioplastic. In addition, the calcium carbonate contained in the porous skeleton of the starfish can increase the pH of the soil during the decomposition process, thereby improving soil fertility.

[0037] It is preferable that the above starfish include star starfish. The above star starfish has a superior yield compared to Amur starfish, spider starfish, and red starfish, and is readily available on the market, which can provide high convenience in the process of manufacturing the above-mentioned eco-friendly plastic manufacturing composition.

[0038] It is preferable that the porous framework be included in an amount of 0.1 to 10 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the composition, more preferable that the porous framework be included in an amount of 3 to 10 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the composition, and most preferable that the porous framework be included in an amount of 5 to 10 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the composition. For example, if the porous framework is included in an amount of less than 0.1 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the composition, the low content of the porous framework may lead to a problem where the durability of the eco-friendly plastic is reduced. Conversely, if the porous framework is included in an amount exceeding 10 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the composition, the content of the bioplastic, which is the main material of the eco-friendly plastic, decreases, which may reduce moldability. As the content of the porous framework increases, the durability of the bioplastic, which is the main material in the composition, is strengthened, and the durability of the eco-friendly plastic formed by the composition can be improved.

[0040] Method for manufacturing a composition for producing eco-friendly plastics

[0041] Meanwhile, the present specification further discloses a method for manufacturing an eco-friendly plastic composition comprising: a step of mixing a basic solution and a starfish to form a starfish mixture; a step of extracting and filtering a porous skeleton from the starfish mixture; and a step of adding the porous skeleton to a biodegradable plastic solution; wherein the starfish comprises one or more species of starfish selected from the group consisting of Amur starfish (Asterias amurensis), star starfish (Asterina pectinifera), spider starfish (Ophiuroidea), and red starfish (Centonardoa semiregularis).

[0042] FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing an eco-friendly plastic composition according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Referring to FIG. 1, it can be seen that the method includes the steps of: mixing a basic solution and a starfish to form a starfish mixture; extracting and filtering a porous skeleton from the starfish mixture; and adding the porous skeleton to a biodegradable plastic solution.

[0044] The step of mixing the above basic solution and starfish to form a starfish mixture may be a process for separating the porous skeleton by removing organic matter and impurities from the starfish with the basic solution, and may use proteolytic enzymes such as pepsin and trypsin, or methods such as centrifugation and hydrolysis to separate the porous skeleton from the starfish.

[0045] The above basic solution may include one or more basic substances selected from sodium hypochlorite (NaClO2) and sodium chlorite (NaClO), but is not limited thereto.

[0046] With respect to 100 parts by weight of the basic solution, the basic substance may be included in an amount of 1 to 10 parts by weight, but is not limited thereto. For example, if the basic substance is included in an amount of less than 1 part by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the basic solution, a problem may arise in which organic matter cannot be sufficiently removed from the starfish. Conversely, if the basic substance is included in an amount of more than 10 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the basic solution, a problem may arise in which the physical properties of the porous skeleton are deformed due to strong basicity.

[0048] Eco-friendly plastic

[0049] Meanwhile, the present specification further discloses an eco-friendly plastic formed by the above-described composition for manufacturing eco-friendly plastic.

[0050] The above-mentioned eco-friendly plastic may be manufactured into seedling trays, but is not limited thereto. The above-mentioned eco-friendly plastic can be applied in the form of plastic products in various fields, and is particularly suitable when manufactured into seedling trays as it possesses appropriate durability during the seedling process while being easily chemically decomposed in an eco-friendly manner and capable of improving soil fertility after decomposition.

[0051] The elastic modulus of the above eco-friendly plastic is 1 to 10 N / mm 2 It is preferable that the elastic modulus of the eco-friendly plastic is 3 to 10 N / mm 2 It is more preferable that the elastic modulus of the eco-friendly plastic is 5 to 10 N / mm 2 It is most desirable that the elastic modulus of the above eco-friendly plastic is 1 N / mm 2 If it is less than that, the degradability is excellent, but a problem of reduced durability may occur. Conversely, the elastic modulus of the above eco-friendly plastic is 10 N / mm 2If it exceeds, although durability is excellent, a problem may occur where the degradability is reduced. The elastic modulus of the above eco-friendly plastic may increase as the content of the porous skeleton extracted from starfish increases, and the elastic modulus of the above eco-friendly plastic is 5 to 10 N / mm 2 In this case, it can exhibit appropriate physical properties for plastic products that require a certain level of durability while being easy to decompose, such as seedling trays.

[0053] Hereinafter, the claims of this specification will be explained in more detail with reference to the attached drawings and embodiments. However, as the drawings and embodiments presented in this specification may be modified in various ways by a person skilled in the art and may take various forms, the details described in this invention should not be limited to a specific disclosed form, but should be understood to include all equivalents and substitutions included within the spirit and technical scope of this invention. Furthermore, the attached drawings are presented to help a person skilled in the art understand the invention more accurately and may be depicted in an exaggerated or reduced size compared to the actual size.

[0055] {Examples and Evaluation}

[0056] <Example>

[0057] Example 1

[0058] 500 mL of a 7% sodium hypochlorite solution and 2.6 kg of washed starfish, from which salt had been removed, were placed in a beaker and organic matter and impurities were completely decomposed over two days. Subsequently, the precipitate, which is a porous skeletal body separated and extracted from the starfish in the beaker, was filtered through a sieve, and then washed and dried. In another beaker, 500 mL of chloroform solvent and 100 g of PLA pellets were placed together and left for one day to prepare a PLA solution. 30 g of the starfish porous structure was added to the prepared PLA solution to achieve a content of 5.0 wt%, and the mixture was stirred with a glass rod to ensure uniform mixing. The completed composition for manufacturing eco-friendly plastic was placed into a mold (silicone cup), a glass cup was placed inside the mold, and the mixture was solidified to form the eco-friendly plastic seedling tray of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as “Example 1”).

[0060] Example 2

[0061] An eco-friendly plastic film of the present invention was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that a starfish porous structure content of 0.5 wt% was added to a prepared PLA solution and the completed composition for manufacturing eco-friendly plastic was prepared into a film of 1.3 cm x 7.5 cm in accordance with ASTM-D638 specimen specifications (hereinafter referred to as “Example 2”).

[0063] Example 3

[0064] An eco-friendly plastic film of the present invention was prepared in the same manner as in Example 2, except that a starfish porous structure content of 1.0 wt% was added to the prepared PLA solution (hereinafter referred to as “Example 3”).

[0066] Example 4

[0067] An eco-friendly plastic film of the present invention was prepared in the same manner as in Example 2, except that a starfish porous structure content of 3.0 wt% was added to the prepared PLA solution (hereinafter referred to as “Example 4”).

[0069] Example 5

[0070] An eco-friendly plastic film of the present invention was prepared in the same manner as in Example 2, except that a starfish porous structure content of 5.0 wt% was added to the prepared PLA solution (hereinafter referred to as “Example 5”).

[0072] <Evaluation>

[0073] 1. Evaluation of the Degradability of Eco-friendly Plastics

[0074] FIG. 2 is a photograph of an eco-friendly plastic seedling tray according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0075] Specifically, FIG. 2a is a photograph of Example 1, and FIG. 2b is a photograph of Example 1 containing soil and plants.

[0076] Referring to FIG. 2, the appearance of Example 1, which was manufactured using the eco-friendly plastic composition of the present invention, can be seen. Example 1 is a seedling tray manufactured by adding a porous skeleton extracted from a starfish to PLA, a biodegradable bioplastic that naturally decomposes by microorganisms, to improve durability. When compared with a commercially available general-purpose plastic seedling tray, it was confirmed that it possesses structural stability sufficient to maintain the soil and seedlings during the initial growth period of the seedling process, and that it functions normally without being easily damaged, enabling seedling cultivation.

[0077] Figure 3 is a photograph showing the results of measuring the decomposition of an eco-friendly plastic film according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0078] Specifically, FIG. 3a is a photograph showing soil collected and containing the eco-friendly plastic film of the present invention, FIG. 3b is a photograph showing the process of measuring the decomposition of the eco-friendly plastic film of the present invention, and FIG. 3c is a photograph showing the results of the experiment measuring the decomposition of the eco-friendly plastic film of the present invention.

[0079] Referring to FIG. 3, the results of measuring the biodegradability of Examples 2 to 5, which were prepared using the eco-friendly plastic composition of the present invention, can be seen. To verify the degree of degradation of the eco-friendly plastic composition of the present invention, Examples 2 to 5 were buried in soil, and the time taken for degradation and the degree of degradation were measured. As a result, it was confirmed that Examples 2 to 5 all degraded into a form where the film fragmented between 13 and 17 days, successfully degrading within a short period. In addition, after Examples 2 to 5 were degraded, the pH of the soil in the degraded area was checked. It was confirmed that the soil in which Examples 2 to 5 were degraded became acidified and the soil quality improved compared to other soil collected at the start of the experiment but in which the film was not buried, due to calcium carbonate, which is the main component of the starfish skeleton.

[0081] 2. Evaluation of the Elastic Modulus of Eco-friendly Plastics

[0082] Figure 4 is a photograph showing the measurement results of the elastic modulus of an eco-friendly plastic film according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0083] Figure 5 is a graph showing the measurement results of the elastic modulus of an eco-friendly plastic according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0084] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the results of measuring the elastic moduli of Examples 2 to 5 can be seen. The elastic moduli of Examples 2 to 5 are 1.5787, 2.5408, 3.9717, and 5.0327 N / mm, respectively. 2It was confirmed that as the content of porous skeletons extracted from starfish increased, the elastic modulus of the eco-friendly plastic film also increased.

[0086] According to the present invention, by manufacturing an eco-friendly plastic using a composition for manufacturing eco-friendly plastic comprising a biodegradable bioplastic and a porous skeleton extracted from a starfish, the plastic naturally decomposes within a short period and can fertilize the soil after decomposition.

[0087] In addition, according to the present invention, by adding a porous skeleton extracted from a starfish as a filler to bioplastics that are expensive and have low durability, it is possible to reduce costs and improve durability while utilizing the biodegradability of the bioplastics.

[0088] The foregoing description of the present invention is for illustrative purposes only, and those skilled in the art will understand that other specific forms can be easily modified without altering the technical concept or essential features of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. For example, each component described as a single unit may be implemented in a distributed manner, and components described as distributed may likewise be implemented in a combined form.

[0089] The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims set forth below rather than by the detailed description above, and all modifications or variations derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and equivalent concepts thereof should be interpreted as being included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

Claim 1 A composition for manufacturing eco-friendly plastic, comprising: a biodegradable plastic; and a porous skeleton extracted from a starfish; wherein the starfish comprises one or more species of starfish selected from the group consisting of Amur starfish (Asterias amurensis), star starfish (Asterina pectinifera), spider starfish (Ophiuroidea), and red starfish (Centonardoa semiregularis). Claim 2 A composition for manufacturing eco-friendly plastics according to claim 1, wherein the biodegradable plastic comprises one or more bioplastics selected from the group consisting of polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), and polybutylene succinate (PBS). Claim 3 In claim 1, the biodegradable plastic is a composition for manufacturing eco-friendly plastic comprising polylactic acid. Claim 4 In claim 1, the above starfish is a composition for manufacturing eco-friendly plastics, comprising a star starfish. Claim 5 A composition for manufacturing eco-friendly plastic according to claim 1, wherein the porous framework is included in an amount of 0.1 to 10 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the composition. Claim 6 A method for manufacturing an eco-friendly plastic composition comprising: a step of mixing a basic solution and a starfish to form a starfish mixture; a step of extracting and filtering a porous skeleton from the starfish mixture; and a step of adding the porous skeleton to a biodegradable plastic solution; wherein the starfish comprises one or more species of starfish selected from the group consisting of Amur starfish (Asterias amurensis), star starfish (Asterina pectinifera), spider starfish (Ophiuroidea), and red starfish (Centonardoa semiregularis). Claim 7 A method for manufacturing an eco-friendly plastic composition according to claim 6, wherein the basic solution comprises one or more basic substances selected from sodium hypochlorite (NaClO2) and sodium chlorite (NaClO). Claim 8 A method for manufacturing an eco-friendly plastic composition according to claim 7, wherein the basic substance is included in an amount of 1 to 10 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the basic solution. Claim 9 Eco-friendly plastic formed by a composition for manufacturing eco-friendly plastic according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 5. Claim 10 In claim 9, the elastic modulus of the eco-friendly plastic is 1 to 10 N / mm 2 Phosphorus, eco-friendly plastic.

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