April 10, 2025 – In the field of plastic research and development, Japan’s RIKEN has achieved an impressive result. The institute has successfully developed a new type of plastic. Its innovation lies in the reconstruction of the plastic molecular logic, endowing it with the unique property of being stable in daily use and being able to dissolve rapidly in saltwater, leaving only safe compounds. The relevant research paper has been published in the latest issue of the journal Science, attracting high attention from the global chemical and environmental protection fields.
Plastics are everywhere in modern society. With their convenience and durability, they have brought great convenience to people’s lives. However, the environmental pollution problem it causes is also becoming increasingly prominent. After plastic waste enters the environment, it is not only difficult to decompose naturally but also forms microplastics under long – term physical and chemical actions.
These microplastics enter the human body through food chains and other channels, causing potential damage to human health. In view of this, researchers have been committed to developing a new material that can not only possess the practical functions of plastics but also decompose rapidly, and the decomposition products are non – toxic and harmless and will not cause harm to the environment and the human body.
According to AsiaMB, during the long and complex screening process, researchers at RIKEN made a key discovery. They found sodium hexametaphosphate (a substance commonly found in food additives) and guanidine – based monomers (commonly used in fertilizer production). When these two substances are mixed in water, a viscous substance is produced, and then through a specific drying process, this new type of plastic is successfully prepared. A large number of experimental results show that this new type of plastic is comparable to ordinary plastics in performance. It also has a firm texture, is not easy to burn, and appears colorless and transparent. Notably, if it is immersed in saltwater, the new plastic can completely dissolve within just 8.5 hours. The researchers further introduced that although there are already biodegradable plastic products on the market, these products still leave microplastics during the decomposition process. In contrast, this newly developed plastic has significant advantages. It can not only function like ordinary plastics during the normal use stage but also, after fulfilling its mission, easily decompose into safe compounds without leaving any microplastics, promising to provide a new and effective solution to the plastic pollution problem.