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All-natural, hydrophobic, biodegradable cellulose-based straws through simultaneous esterification and filling with stearic acid for cold beverages
Summary
Researchers developed a biodegradable, all-natural straw made from bleached bamboo fibers and stearic acid as an alternative to plastic straws that generate microplastics. The straw achieved strong hydrophobicity, worked well in cold beverages including tea, coffee, and milk, and fully degraded in soil within 50 days. The study offers a promising green alternative that avoids both the microplastic pollution from plastic straws and the chemical additives used in conventional paper straws.
Disposable plastic straws have caused severe environmental pollution because microplastics produced in the degradation process harm human health and marine ecosystems. Paper straws as substitutes need to be incorporated into hydrophobic agents and other chemicals to achieve hydrophobicity, which may be harmful to human health. In this study, a novel and purely natural hydrophobic cellulose-based straw was made from bleached bamboo fibers (BBF) and stearic acid (SA). The prepared straw (BBF/SA@straw) exhibited improved hydrophobicity, biodegradability, and applicability. The water absorption rate was maintained at 58.66 % using single-factor analysis and response surface methodology and the maximum water contact angle was up to 133o. Additionally, the paper straw was almost completely degraded after 50 days in soil. Moreover, it could be used normally in water at 0 °C and 25 °C and was suitable for various beverages (tea, coffee, coke, and milk), demonstrating an extensive application prospect. This work supplies a promising and green alternative to plastic straws, alleviating the burden of white pollution in the environment.