Cooking a delicious risotto and making plastics are actually very similar processes. In both, ingredients come together and are heated to create a product, but current recipes for synthesizing bioplastics often fall flat, producing flimsy materials.

So, taking a hint from chefs, researchers now report in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering a way to “season” biodegradable plastics to make them stronger. It just takes a “pinch” of cream of tartar (tartaric acid) or citric acid.

As a result, researchers have discovered a technique to “season” biodegradable polymers to increase their strength, taking a cue from chefs. All it takes is only a “pinch” of cream of tartar (tartaric acid) or citric acid.

However, it’s often the case that the more easily these materials break down, the flimsier they are, tearing apart from the slightest pressure. One solution could be to sprinkle in additives, similar to salt and pepper seasonings in cooking, to increase strength and toughness.

ome researchers have used petroleum-based additives, but they can slow down degradation and are unappealing to consumers who desire products made from natural, biologically sourced ingredients.

However, it’s often the case that the more easily these materials break down, the flimsier they are, tearing apart from the slightest pressure.

The researchers made seasoned PBS by first heating succinic acid and 1,4-butanediol with small amounts of either tartaric or citric acid. Then, they added titanium(IV) butoxide and dried the products.

One potential downside is that it took the new additive-containing polymers slightly longer to break down in water compared to pure PBS over 14 weeks, though that could be beneficial for food packaging applications in humid environments.