Research hot spots and development trends of biodegradable plastics

Abstract

A workable way to reduce the pollution that conventional waste plastics cause to the environment is to use biodegradable plastics. This study examines the current research trends and future prospects in the field of biodegradable plastics using bibliometric analysis and author keyword cluster visualization. It is highlighted that given the current environment, large-scale production of materials such as polylactic acid (PLA), polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), and whole-starch-based plastics require improved development of modified and composite materials, additional production lines to accelerate the expansion of current manufacturing capacities, and further process optimization. It is advised to use biomass waste as feedstock for less industrialized polymers like polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), find high-performance bactericides, increase product conversion rates, reduce manufacturing costs, and progressively increase output. Currently, a number of fundamental technical bottlenecks need to be overcome in order to help improve the industrialization level of biodegradable plastics and promote the development of "waste free" cities. These bottlenecks include lactide synthesis and purification, PHAs separation and extraction, and the ongoing promotion of the formulation of mandatory standards and policy requirements in downstream application fields.