TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention pertains to the field of material science and relates to biodegradable bioplastic obtained from natural and renewable raw materials and a production method of this bioplastic. The bioplastic of the invention preferably contains food industrial waste as a component.

BACKGROUND

The use of exhaustible and scarce fossil resources such as oil is a source of great concern today with its environmental and economic effects. The use of petroleum-derived substances in the production of plastics poses a danger to the ecosystem due to their increase in carbon emissions to the atmosphere, their long-standing, their carcinogenic effects, and their involvement in the food chain. Countries are making intensive efforts to research, develop and implement non-oil resources to guarantee both their economies and their independence.

Plastics are widely used in every aspect of daily life due to their features such as easy shaping, low costs, and providing heat and electrical insulation. However, it is aimed to reduce the production and use of plastic materials due to the increased sensitivity of consumers to the environment. Studies are carried out on the fact that plastic products are in degradable and non-damaging structures in the environment with the same usage characteristics. Bioplastic material production and development activities can be shown as the pioneers of these studies. Many different raw materials are biodegradable and have low production costs, and bioplastics with less CO2 emissions are produced during their production.

Bioplastics are used in many fields such as medicine and health, electronics, automotive, cosmetics, sports, and the toy industry. For example, in the field of medicine and health, biodegradable sutures, screws or nails placed in the body to repair broken bones, and cardiovascular stents used to open clogged or narrowed heart vessels eliminate the necessity for second surgical intervention. Bioplastics can be produced from different biomass sources (e.g. corn or potato starch, cellulose) obtained from plants. Wastes of food industrial products can also be used as the said biomass sources. All of the bioplastics obtained from primary and renewable sources can be recycled, thus protecting the environment and bringing the waste to the economy.

As a result, it is now known that bioplastic materials will be used instead of petroleum-based products due to the negativities known in the art, so it is anticipated that the inventions related to the production of bioplastics that provide low CO2 emissions at low production costs and during production will meet the innovation criterion in the relevant technical field.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a bioplastic suitable for use in many fields such as medicine and health, electronics, automotive, cosmetics, sports, and the toy industry.

An object of the invention relates to bioplastic made from renewable and natural raw materials that are biodegradable.

An object of the invention is to obtain a bioplastic with low production costs.

Another object of the invention is to obtain bioplastic containing food and industrial waste as a component.

Another object of the invention is to present a method for the production of bioplastics.

In order to achieve all these objectives, the present invention relates to a biodegradable bioplastic suitable for use in the technical fields of medicine and health, electronics, automotive, cosmetics, sports, and toy industries instead of petroleum-derived plastics. The bioplastic according to the invention comprises the following components:

- gelatin as a matrix component,

- glycerin as plasticizer and elasticizer,

- gypsophila extract as a coloring, texture, and volume provider,

- cocoa bean shells as biomass source and tissue provider.

The possible embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the bioplastic comprises a gelatin component in the range of 15% to 25% by weight. The possible embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the bioplastic comprises a glycerin component in the range of 10 to 20% by weight.

The possible embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the bioplastic comprises a component of the gypsophila extract in the range of 5% to 15% by weight.

The possible embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the bioplastic comprises a component of cocoa bean shells in the range of 5% to 15% by weight.

The possible embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the bioplastic comprises the gelatin in the range of 15% to 25% by weight, the glycerin in the range of 10% to 20% by weight, the gypsophila extract in the range of 5% to 15% by weight, and the cocoa bean shells in the range of 5% to 15% by weight.

The invention also relates to a method for producing the said bioplastic product. The method for the production of bioplastics comprises the following process steps:

- The water, gelatin, and glycerin components are brought together, heating process is carried out at temperatures between 40 and 50°C;

Wherein the heating process is carried out for a period of time in the range of 700 to 1000 rpm,

- The gypsophila extract is added to the resulting mixture in the predetermined ratios, the mixing process is carried out using a mixer and a homogeneous mixture is obtained;

Wherein the said mixing process is carried out in the range of 70 to 1000 rpm and for 1 minute to 3 minutes,

- The cocoa bean shell is added to the resulting homogeneous mixture in the predetermined ratios, the mixing process is carried out using the mixer, and the homogeneous mixture is obtained;

Wherein the said mixing process is carried out in the range of 700 to 1000 rpm and for a period in the range of 5 seconds to 200 seconds. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In this detailed description, the subject of the invention relates to a bioplastic produced from renewable and natural raw materials that belong to the field of material science and have biodegradable properties in nature and a method for the production of this bioplastic, it is explained with examples that do not have any limiting effect only for a better understanding of the subject.

In the invention, the term "bioplastic" represents a group of materials that comprise various biomass sources as raw materials and/or components and are obtained by various plastic production methods. In the invention, bioplastic is specially manufactured from natural and edible raw materials.

The bioplastic of the invention also includes research and development activities to have low production costs for the related technical field. Accordingly, it preferably contains food industrial wastes as raw material. Chemical and physical compatibility of the components in the bioplastic of the invention is very important. The incompatibility of these components will not have the desired chemical stability, mechanical strength properties, and physical appearance for bioplastic. Therefore, the inventors of the present invention have conducted studies on the use of the most suitable components as raw materials for the production of bioplastic suitable for use in various technical fields.

The bioplastic of the invention contains a gelatin component. In the invention, "gelatin" refers to a special protein obtained by using collagen partially hydrolyzed with the tissues, muscles, and bones of animals. In the invention, the gelatin component may be used in various modifications, preferably the dried powdered form is used. The said gelatin component is involved for the function of the binding matrix as raw material in the production of bioplastics. It ensures that all components in the bioplastic are kept together in a stable way. Accordingly, the bioplastic of the present invention comprises the gelatin component at a rate of 15% to 25% by weight. The bioplastic of the present invention comprises the gelatin component at a rate of 15.5% to 23.6% by weight. The bioplastic of the invention contains the gelatin component to provide hardness and strength properties. The said weight ratios are critical, to obtain bioplastic as desired, it is necessary to add gelatin components with the said weight ratios. The proportions by weight mentioned herein are related to the fact that the bioplastic has the desired elasticity value. While the increase in weight ratios causes an increase in flexibility, the addition of high amounts of gelatin causes negativities in the flexibility properties of bioplastics.

The bioplastic of the invention contains a glycerin component. The invention refers to a colorless, odorless, and non-toxic liquid with a sweet taste produced as a result of hydrolysis of "glycerin" animal or vegetable oils. The glycerin component is involved in the production of bioplastics as a raw material for the function of plasticizer products to provide less brittle and elasticity. Accordingly, the bioplastic of the present invention contains the glycerin component in a value between 10% and 20% by weight. The bioplastic of the present invention contains the glycerin component with a value of 12.3% to 16.8% by weight. Glycerin is included in the bioplastic to provide flexibility. The proportions by weight mentioned herein are related to the fact that the bioplastic has the desired elasticity value. While the increase in weight ratios causes an increase in flexibility, the addition of high amounts of glycerin causes negativities in the flexibility properties of bioplastics.

The bioplastic of the invention contains a gypsophila component. The invention refers to a perennial plant with a height of 30-80 cm in the "gypsophila" carnation family. In the invention, extracts obtained from the said plants are used as the gypsophila component. Gypsophila extracts do not determine the scope of protection of the invention. Gypsophila extracts, which can be obtained by each production method, can be used as components in the present invention. The bioplastic of the invention includes the gypsophila extract, coloring, and texturing the product to ensure that the products become bulky. It determines the physical morphology of the product. Accordingly, the bioplastic of the present invention comprises the gypsophila extract component at a rate of from 5% to 15% by weight. The bioplastic of the present invention comprises 7% to 10% by weight of the gypsophila extract component.

The bioplastic of the invention contains a component of cocoa bean shells. In the invention, "cocoa bean shells" are wastes that occur in processes related to cocoa beans in the food industrial area. It is mostly used as animal feed in the art. The present inventors have found that cocoa bean shells can be used as a source of biomass for bioplastic production. Cocoa bean shells are used for biomass source, color donor, and product tissue formation functions within the bioplastic according to the invention. Accordingly, the inventive bioplastic comprises the component of the cocoa bean shells in a value from 5% to 15% by weight. The bioplastic of the present invention contains the component of cocoa bean shells in the range of 7% to 13% by weight. The bioplastic of the invention contains gelatin, glycerin, gypsophila extracts, and cocoa bean shells as components.

The bioplastic of the invention comprises gelatin in the range of 15% to 25% by weight, glycerin in the range of 10% to 20% by weight, gypsophila extract in the range of 5% to 15% by weight, and cocoa bean shells in the range of 5% to 15% by weight. Furthermore, the bioplastic comprises a water component in the range of 40% to 50% by weight.

The invention is characterized in that it comprises the following process steps for the production of the bioplastic of the invention:

- The water, gelatin, and glycerin components are combined in the specified proportions,

Wherein the heating process is carried out at temperatures between 40 and 50°C,

- The gypsophila extract is added to the heated mixture in the predetermined ratios, the mixing process is carried out using a mixer and a homogeneous mixture is obtained;

Wherein the said mixing process is carried out in the range of 700 to 1000 rpm and for 1 minute to 3 minutes,

- The cocoa bean shell is added to the resulting homogeneous mixture in the predetermined ratios, the mixing process is carried out using the mixer, and the homogeneous mixture is obtained;

Wherein the said mixing process is carried out in the range of 700 to 1000 rpm and for a period in the range of 5 seconds to 200 seconds.

It is critical that the bioplastics of the invention contain components in the specified weight ratios to have the desired mechanical, physical, and chemical properties. For the components to provide the desired functions for the bioplastic product, the weight ratios were determined in line with the information obtained as a result of the research and development activities of the present inventors. The bioplastic of the invention can also be used as a biomaterial raw material for 3D printers, if preferred. In this way, it can be produced in many different technical fields and many different technical structures. When the bioplastic of the present invention is preferred, it may comprise at least one auxiliary component(s). These auxiliary components can be in various functions. For example, providing colorant, chemical stability, or improving mechanical strength values. However, the protection scope of the invention is not limited to these. A skilled person in the art knows that improvements and enhancements can be made to the products by the addition of various auxiliary components of plastic-derived products. Therefore, it is thought that some minor changes or additions will be obvious solutions for the subject matter of the present invention.

The bioplastic of the invention is suitable for use in many fields such as medicine and health, goggles, structure, food, electronics, automotive, cosmetics, sports, and the toy industry.

The CO2 release during the production of the bioplastic of the invention is insignificant compared to the CO2 emission in the production of petroleum-derived plastics.