2021.12.14
Expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam, which is cheap and light but not biodegradable and difficult to recycle. However, German scientists have developed a possible alternative-foam made from popcorn. Professor Alireza Kharazipour from George-August University had this idea for the first time more than 10 years ago when he bought a bag of popcorn in a movie theater.
Since then, his team has devised a way to use this kind of stuff for cheap, biodegradable, renewable resource foam that replaces EPS.
At the beginning of the production process, the corn kernels are mechanically cut into pellets, and then pressurized steam is used to expand them. Next, a bonding agent derived from vegetable protein is mixed with the expanded particles, and then the mixture is pressed into a mold. Once the adhesive is cured, the resulting sheet, block or other items are removed from the mold for use.
According to the university, this foam has better heat absorption than EPS, it is less flammable, and it can be composted, shredded and reused, used to produce biogas, and even used as animal feed after being discarded. . In addition, along with corn kernels, corn industrial waste such as broken corn cobs can also be used in production.
The technology has recently been licensed to the Bachl Group in Germany, which will commercialize this technology and use it for building insulation in the future. Other possible applications for the material include protective/insulating packaging, sports equipment parts, and light-duty automotive parts.
Kharazipour said: “I think this is my contribution as a scientist to a clean environment and no plastic-based products.
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