【Frontiers in HaiChuan Chemical Technology】South Korean researchers have developed a new polymer with strength comparable to that of nylon that can degrade in the ocean

Thread Content

South Korean researchers have developed a new polymer with strength comparable to that of nylon, which can degrade in the ocean. 2025-05-26 14:14:42 South Korean researchers have created a material that holds promise for completely solving the ocean pollution caused by synthetic textiles and fishing gear. This new type of polymer can have over 92% of it degraded in just one year in marine environments, while maintaining strength comparable to that of traditional nylon. This innovative technology, which has been published in Advanced Materials, offers a practical solution to the long-standing problem of plastic waste in the oceans, without the need to compromise on performance or build entirely new production infrastructure. Solving the problem of marine plastic: Nylon products such as clothing and fishing nets are the main culprits behind marine pollution, and they remain in the ocean environment for decades. Although biodegradable alternatives exist, their durability and heat resistance are usually poor, making them impractical for many practical applications. A research team from the Korea Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), led by Dr. Hyun-Yeol Jeon and Dr. Hyo-Jeong Kim, developed a polyester amide (PEA) polymer that overcomes these limitations. They combined the biodegradability of ester bonds with the amide bonds that provide strength in nylon. Dr. Sungbae Park, a senior researcher on the study and co-first author, explained: “This material overcomes the limitations of traditional biodegradable plastics while possessing properties on par with those of nylon.” ” The combination of strength and sustainability: What sets this polymer apart is not only its biodegradability but also its excellent mechanical properties. The performance of this material is comparable to that of traditional nylon, and in some tests it even surpasses it: ● Its tensile strength reaches 110 MPa, exceeding that of Nylon 6 and PET ● A single fiber bundle can lift 10 kilograms without breaking ● Its heat resistance allows the fabric to withstand ironing at 150°C ● Its degradation rate in marine environments over one year is 92.1% (compared to 0.1% for PLA, 35.9% for PBS, and 21.1% for PBAT) ● Its carbon footprint is only one-third that of traditional nylon production. This balance between performance and environmental benefits makes this polymer suitable for applications where existing biodegradable materials are not adequate, including fishing nets, clothing, and food packaging. Process innovation: A key breakthrough of this research was the development of a two-step melt polymerization process that eliminates the need for toxic organic solvents traditionally used in the production of such materials. This makes the production process safer and more environmentally friendly. For commercial applications, this process is compatible with existing polyester production facilities. With only minor modifications, existing industrial infrastructure can begin producing this biodegradable alternative, thereby removing a major obstacle to its widespread use. The team has demonstrated industrial-scale production of up to 4 kilograms in a 10-liter reactor, indicating that the material is ready for larger-scale commercial use. Upgrading cyclic methods to reduce carbon emissions: In addition to performance and biodegradability, researchers have also integrated sustainability into every fundamental component of their polymers. They synthesized this material using long-chain dicarboxylic acids extracted from castor oil (a non-edible crop that does not compete with food production) and caprolactam derivatives recovered from recycled nylon 6 waste. This upgrading cycle approach significantly reduces the carbon footprint of the material, lowering emissions from 8–11 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilogram for traditional nylon to 2.3–2.6 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilogram for the new polymer.