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CTK Bio Canada has developed a new bioplastic
resin designed to biodegrade by both industrial
and home composting, as well as in unmanaged
environments like soil and seawater. The Company
is now undertaking detailed experimental trials with
academic partners to validate its technology ahead
of anticipated commercial rollout in 2022.Park and Shum developed their technology in
partnership with Profs. Zachary Hudson and
Emily Cranston, experts in plant-based materials
technology at the University of British Columbia.
Hudson holds the Canada Research Chair in
Sustainable Chemistry, and Cranston is currently
the President’s Excellence Chair in Forest Bio-
Products. Once the formulation had been developed,
prototyping began with the Polymer Materials
and Manufacturing group at McMaster University;
Heera Marway, Vladimir Gritsichine, Profs. Michael
Thompson and Li Xi.The Company’s materials are designed to overcome a
critical barrier in the bioplastics space — the ability to
degrade in water. While increased use of bioplastics are
a positive sign for the environment, Shum and Park knew
that too much of it was still ending up in rivers and oceans
where they couldn’t easily biodegrade. CTK Bio Canada’s
materials are designed to break down not only if disposed
of in the green bin, but also if they end up discarded to
the environment. The materials should degrade only to
nontoxic byproducts, while also remaining compatible with
equipment for manufacturing traditional plastics.Most importantly, the team believes they can achieve
these milestones in materials science while keeping
costs competitive with petroleum-based plastics. Initial
prototyping has already been completed on a series
of plastic parts and lms, with detailed testing planned
in 2021 to validate the material’s degradability. The
Company has also released a white paper on its website
describing the formulation and design in more detail.CTK Bio Canada Develops Bioplastic Resin
Designed to Break Down in Soil and Seawater
Visit http://www.ctkcanada.com or contact Daniel Shum, Chief Operating Officer at [email protected]ADVERTISEMENT_p3.indd 3_p3.indd 3MAR_002_21_B.indd 1MAR_002_21_B.indd 1 1/29/2021 2:54:30 PM1/29/2021 2:54:30 PM2/10/21 9:27 AM2/10/21 9:27 AM