Bioplastic Razor Handle with Vegetable Fillers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Disposable razor handles made from fossil-based thermoplastics are unsustainable due to limited lifetime and high plastic consumption, with alternatives like polylactic acid (PLA) offering poor ergonomics and resistance to hot water.
Innovation Solution
A handle made from a combination of PLA with bioplastics such as polybutylene succinate (PBS) and vegetable fillers, which improves mechanical properties, reduces material density, and increases Heat Deflection Temperature for resistance to hot water deformations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If PLA is used as the handle material, then sustainability is improved, but mechanical properties and resistance to hot water deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining PLA with biodegradable polymers such as polybutylene succinate (PBS), polyethylene-co-glycidyl methacrylate (PEGMA), or polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA). This composite approach maintains sustainability while improving mechanical properties and heat resistance through the synergistic effects of different polymer components, each contributing specific functional characteristics to the final handle material.
2Reliability
If PLA is used to reduce plastic consumption, then sustainability is improved, but handle weight and ergonomics deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by adjusting the molecular weight, crystallinity, and composition ratios of the bioplastic polymers used in the handle. By controlling these parameters, the material density and weight can be optimized to achieve both sustainability and acceptable ergonomics, preventing the handle from becoming too lightweight to provide proper grip and comfort during shaving.
3Temperature
If high heat PLA is used to improve hot water resistance, then resistance to hot water is improved, but processing time and material density increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using fillers and additives specifically in the handle body portions that require enhanced heat resistance, rather than uniformly throughout the entire razor assembly. This localized approach allows high heat PLA or similar heat-resistant materials to be used only where thermal exposure occurs, reducing overall processing time and material consumption while maintaining necessary hot water resistance in critical areas.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a sustainable, durable, and ergonomically sound razor handle with reduced material consumption and accelerated processing times, ensuring resistance to deformations when immersed in hot water.
Implementation Method 1
The handle is made of PLA with another bioplastic polymer such as polybutylene succinate (PBAT), bio-polyethylene (bio-PE), and polybutylene succinate (PBS), in specific proportions
Implementation Method 2
The presence of vegetable fillers reduces the amount of material required to manufacture the handle for razor, and increases the Heat Deflection Temperature (HDT) of the material, allowing it to be inert and to resist to deformations when immersed in hot water
Implementation Method 3
High heat PLA grades overcome these inherent problems since the high crystallinity of these materials allows them to be highly inert and resistant when immersed in hot water
Data Source
AI summary
A handle for razor is made of polylactic acid (PLA) and another bioplastic polymer such as polybutylene adipate terephtalate (PBAT), bio-polyethylene (bio-PE), and polybutylene succinate (PBS), combined with mineral fillers selected from the group of calcium carbonate and shells of shellfish, such as oyster shells or scallop shells.