Glitter is an environmentally destructive substance that stays around on clothing and rugs for longer than it should. To help with these issues, researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a new kind of biodegradable glitter that is non-toxic, colorful but is as annoying as the plastic one.
Ordinary glitter is made using plastic and pigments, and since its pieces are very small, its use in everything from crafts to cosmetics makes glitter a microplastic pollutant. Some firms are working towards reducing or completely eliminating the use of microplastics for things such as “exfoliating beads,” but glitter remains an issue.
A great alternative to plastic
The researchers behind the newly detailed “vegan glitter” have presented an alternative to plastic glitter that might someday become common for products used commercially. The environmentally-friendly glitter is made by building a block of plant cells called cellulose. The researchers claim they’ve transformed cellulose nanocrystals into glitter.
Light bends through these nanocrystals, producing different bright colors similar to its plastic counterpart. The manufacturing process requires creating long films that are later broken into small particles similar to the size of glitter pieces. Though the colorful cellulose nanocrystals aren’t new, the team took things a notch further by showcasing a creation process that can be done using existing roll-to-roll machines.
Paving the way for large-scale production
The work makes room for large-scale production of these colorful films in manufacturing, instead of laboratories. What’s better is that the team says their production process uses less energy than other methods. However, some “optimization” is still required, but the researchers say they’re aiming to launch a company that can bring their product to the mainstream market.
Previously, researchers created a hardened wood material that can be three times sharper than a stainless steel dinner knife. The material was made by the University of Maryland’s Teng Li and a team that developed a technique to produce extremely hard wood. The development of such materials could lead to more sustainable building materials. Wood contains around 40-50 percent cellulose, with the rest of the material comprised of binders known as lignin and hemicellulose.
