US Ag Dept develops bio-based electroactive polymer

01 December 2005 22:25  [Source: ICIS news]

WASHINGTON (ICIS news)--US Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have developed a low-cost, bio-based process for electroactive polymers, USDA said on Thursday.

 

Electroactive polymers, plastics that expand or contract when stimulated by electricity, have broad application in biomedical engineering and a variety of industries, according to USDA, but traditional hydrocarbon-based electroactive polymers are expensive.

 

USDA said scientists at its Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Peoria, Illinois have developed a process to render bio-based polymers electroactive on a cost basis far below hydrocarbon polymers.  The researchers used plant polysaccharides such as starch to produce a polymer that will bend and contract slightly when pulsed with electricity. 

 

Ordinarily, USDA noted, many polysaccharides are natural insulators and obstruct the flow of electric current.  But the newly developed bio-based polymers conduct electricity at levels similar to synthetic products, according to ARS officials.

 

The polysaccharides-based electroactive polymer can be produced from corn starch, ARS said, which is in plentiful supply and costs around 20 cents (Eurocent17)/pound.  ARS said synthetic electroactive polymers run as high as $1,500/pound.

 

The bio-based conductive polymers may have application in light-emitting diodes, controlled-release devices, artificial muscles and environmental sensors, USDA said.  The ARS team is exploring use of the new polymer in recharging lithium batteries to hasten recharge times or to hold charges longer. Additional information is available at the ARS Plant Polymer Research Unit.

By: Joe Kamalick
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