{"id":9198,"date":"2024-10-10T20:17:11","date_gmt":"2024-10-10T23:17:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/solvefortomorrowlatam.com\/pratica\/bioplastico-luvas-sisal-educacao-stem\/"},"modified":"2024-12-16T12:01:51","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T15:01:51","slug":"bioplastic-plant-gloves-education-stem","status":"publish","type":"pratica","link":"https:\/\/solvefortomorrowlatam.com\/en\/case\/bioplastic-plant-gloves-education-stem\/","title":{"rendered":"Students create bioplastic gloves from plant residue"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the interior of Bahia, in the Brazilian Northeast, a group of students from the Clinical Analysis technical course developed an innovative technology that transforms the residue of sisal, a typical plant of the region, into bioplastic. From this material, they created disposable gloves with a short decomposition time. The project, entitled “Produ\u00e7\u00e3o de Luvas atrav\u00e9s de biopl\u00e1stico” (Gloves production with the use of bioplastics, in English), won the Solve for Tomorrow popular jury in the country, in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The idea came during practical classes at school, Centro Territorial de Educa\u00e7\u00e3o Profissional (CETEP) do Sisal II, where laboratory studies in the health area are conducted. Five students in the first year of high school (the penultimate year of compulsory education) noticed that the volume of waste generated by the gloves was high at the end of just one day. Although latex gloves are important protective equipment to prevent biological contamination, they have a long decomposition time, which can be up to 400 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teacher Pachiele Cabral, the project\u2019s mediator<\/a>, explains that the team\u2019s intention was also to value the sisal production chain. The city of Araci, where the school is located, has a high production of this plant. \u201cThe city does not develop economically in sisal, because everything is taken to industries in other cities, which then export this material and the local producers do not get rich. So we thought about possibilities of what can be done with sisal. Only 3% of it is used for fibers, 93% is discarded and the rest serves as feed for cattle during dry periods. Why not value this part that is thrown away, without disrupting the producers\u2019 industrial chain?\u201d she asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first challenge was to produce bioplastic from sisal. Based on scientific articles reporting the plasticization of other plant species, the team conducted several tests using different parts of the plant. They discovered that it was possible to produce bioplastic by mixing the extract of sisal discarded in rural areas with some chemical products, in a cooking and stirring process. Several materials were tested in the composition of bioplastic, but the formula obtained so far was composed of distilled water, acetic acid, sodium hydroxide, and glycerin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n Eureka Moment <\/h5>\n

Obtaining the ideal texture for the bioplastic was a challenge. In the tests reported in scientific articles, the use of cornstarch in the formula was suggested, but when mixed with sisal, the consistency did not provide the malleability, comfort, and movement needed for the gloves. One day, while making vegan cheese with sweet cassava starch at home, teacher Pachiele Cabral noticed that the ingredient provided a good consistency and decided to share the idea with her students. They replaced the cornstarch with cassava starch in the bioplastic formula and finally achieved what they wanted.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\n

This result excited them; it was\u00a0 like turning a light on there. Because it was an innovative idea, there were no ready-made methodologies in the literature for developing bioplastic from sisal, much less gloves. So, it was a practical research project, where we created it all from scratch. The students had to ‘rack their brains’ on the methodology and material testing, developing this investigative approach, she says.
<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Hands-on to mold the glove<\/strong>
<\/span><\/div><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The next step was to transform the bioplastic into gloves. To do this, a hand-shaped mold was needed and it should prevent the material from sticking when unmolding. Without access to molds similar to those used by the industry \u2013 which is only manufactured outside of Brazil \u2013 the team tested plaster, metal, and plastic models, but the best result was obtained with a silicone one. \u201cThe material remains in the mold for 48 hours at room temperature. During this time, we add layers to achieve the ideal shape we want. Afterward, the gloves are waterproofed with talcum powder and sent for quality control tests\u201d, she explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The students tested the glove\u2019s traction, permeability, and biodegradability, with surprising results. The material made from sisal bioplastic can withstand heat of up to 190\u00baC, while latex gloves lose their properties at temperatures above 160\u00baC. Bioplastic is also more impermeable than latex, and it degrades quickly after disposal. \u201cSisal biodegrades in three to six months. However, in our tests, the gloves degraded in just one month. These discoveries were an extraordinary joy for us,\u201d says the teacher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n