13 hours ago
Researchers make game-changing discovery using bamboo that could revolutionize how we build cars: 'Our composite can be used in various sectors'
This organic material could completely replace plastic in cars.
Cars are around 50% plastic — dashboards, door panels, bumpers, steering wheels, and more. Plastic is cheap, sturdy, and long-lasting, so finding a sustainable replacement has been difficult, but researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology in Guwahati have developed a promising alternative.
Researchers used Bambusa tulda fibers, a strong, fast-growing bamboo native to the Indian subcontinent, and a bio-based epoxy resin to create a material with "excellent mechanical strength, thermal stability, low moisture absorption, and cost-effectiveness," per India Today NE.
Reducing our global reliance on plastic is urgent. Every year, the world produces over 450 million tons of plastic, and less than 10% of it is recycled. The rest ends up in landfills, degrading into microplastics, or as litter, contaminating waterways and harming wildlife.
Suppose we continue at this rate of plastic production and consumption. In that case, we can expect more animals to die from plastic ingestion and entanglement, a higher presence of microplastics in our water, food, and bodies, and rising temperatures that cause more frequent extreme weather events.
Thankfully, researchers across the globe are working to find sustainable solutions to our plastic problem. Plastic alternatives, like plant-based biopolymers that can completely dissolve in just 10 days, could replace a majority of single-use plastics. New methods of recycling old plastic, like plastic-eating waxworms, can keep plastic out of landfills, oceans, and our bodies.
Dr. Poonam Kumari, who led the development team for the bamboo epoxy, believes the material will have a wide range of uses.
"Our composite can be used in various sectors, including automotive, electronics, aerospace, and sustainable construction. It is a green replacement for plastic, wood, and even metal components, aligning with the Green Tech Revolution and India's Make in India initiative," Dr. Kumari said, per India Today NE.
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