Biodegradable Plastics Made Economically From Potato, Cheese Waste
ARGONNE, IL Scientists at
the Department of Energy’s
Argonne National Laboratory
have developed an economical
method of making biodegradable
plastics from potato and cheese
waste.
The plastic can be adjusted dur
ing manufacture to be either
biodegradable deteriorate under
bacterial action -- or photodegrad
able, deteriorate from exposure to
sunlight or ultraviolet If desired,
both features can be incorporated
in the same product said Robert
Shepherd’s Symposium
(Continued from Pag* 02)
shop session on “Getting Started
Right With Sheep,” a topic to be
addressed by Dr. Ron Parker of
Henning, Minnesota. Parker is the
author of the handbook for the
modem shepherd titled “The
Sheep Book,” pub. Charles Scrib
ner’s Sons, N.Y.
Other workshop sessions will
be available on sheep handling
concepts and equipment, ventilat
ing existing sheep facilities.,
extending your grazing season
LAND PRIDE
Quality Equipment From
A Quality Company
BOX SCRAPERS 42" through 84"
Land Pride Box Scrapers are built rugged for a long dirt-moving life. With the 4” square tubing main frame and Vi" x 6"
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The ruggedly-constructed Land Pride Rollover Box Scrapers offer a wide variety of dirt-working possibilities Position the
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Land Pride Retractable Box Scrapers are
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PENNSYLVANIA
Straley Farm Supply, Inc.
1760 East Canal Road
Dover, PA 17315
717-292-2631
Bella Equipment
3139 Windy Bush 6 Rt 232
New Hope, PA 18938 9303
21S-S9B-7SOI
Keller Brother*
R 7 Box 405
Lebanon, PA 17042
717-949-6501
Lancaster, PA 17601
1950 Fruilville Pike
717-669-2500
Coleman, head of the Argonne
development team.
Patrick Bonsignore, an Argon
ne polymer chemist who has been
working most closely with the
deterioration characteristics, says
the rate of decay can be selected
during the manufacturing process.
He points out that besides obvious
uses, such as material for degrad
able garbage and supermarket
bags there are numerous less obvi
ous applications, such as degrad
able containers for time-released
fertilizers and insecticides. Such
using brassicas, and a lean lamb
production and marketing pro
gram for Pennsylvania producers.
Tour and program brochure
materials are available by calling
your local county extension
offices or the PSU Conference
Center on campus 814/865-8301.
All advance lodging reservations
can be made by calling the Shera
ton Lancaster direct
717/299-5500.
Plan now to attend a very edu
cational program on progressive
sheep production.
■ "v
Merahall Machinery, Inc.
Route 652
Honesdale, PA 18431
717-729-7117
Wm. Hobenseck't A Sons
1060 Greeley Avenue
Ivyland, PA 18974
215-675-1610
PlkevlUe Equipment Inc.
RD 2, Oysterdale Road
Oley, PA 19547
215-907-6277
Paul Shovert Inc.
RD 2
Loysville, PA 17047
717-709-3117
REAR BLADES 48 ' through 96'
The four series of Land Pride Rear Blades provide you
with a choice of 10 different models. Whether it s a hobby
blade for a 20 horsepower tractor or a heavy-duty model with
angle tilt and offset, you'll find a Land Pride blade to match
your tractor and your job
Quality designs and rugged construction are evident
throughout the rear blade line Each blade has a heavy-duty
rolled moldboard to keep material flowing smoothly And all
Land Pride blades have replaceable high-carbon, heat treated
cutting edges They are reversible on the 15, 25, and 35
series for an even longer life
Land Pride Rear Blades are available with a full range of
options including skid shoes, side plates, gauge wheels and
on the 35 series a hydraulic cylinder to adjust offset
on-the-go
Fixed Bar
Tractor Parts Co.
335 Central Road
Bloomsburg, PA 17815
717-704-0250
Swefyerd Bros., Inc.
RD #3, Box 13
Halifax, PA 17032
717-096-3414
Stouffer Bros. Inc.
1066 Lincoln Way West
Chambersburg, PA 17201
717-263-0424
Stoltzfus Farm Service
Cochranville, PA
215-593-2407
bulk plastic items as mulch covers
for Helds could be made to last all
summer and then decay around
harvest time.
“An estimated 10 billion
pounds of potato waste are created
each year from the peeling and
cutting of potatoes for french fries
alone,” says Coleman. “About
half the weight of the potato is lost
in this process and even though
the nutritional value is the same as
the part that is used there is so
little for the remainder that it is
either totally discarded as waste or
sold as cattle feed for $3-$6 a
ton.” Similarly, several billion
pounds of cheese whey are created
each year as a little used watery
byproduct in the manufacture of
cheeses.
Both of these waste products
are rich in carbohydrates that can
be converted to glucose, Coleman
says. This in turn can be converted
to lactic acid, which can be direct
ly polymerized into plastic sheets.
Coleman points out that the
process developed at Argonne has
reduced the time for converting
carbohydrates to sugars from the
more than 100 hours now required
by conventional technology to less
Rollover
NEW JERSEY
Ow«n Supply Co.
East Avenue & Broad St
Woodstown, NJ 08098
609-769-0308
Frank Rymon I Sons, Inc.
RD 3, Box 355
Washington, NJ 07882
201-689-1464
Warran County Service Center
228 Route 94
Columbia, NJ 07832
201-362-6916
than ten hours. “This makes it an
inexpensive and very commercial
ly feasible undertaking,” Coleman
says.
While plastic has been made
from lactic acid before, the Argon
ne research has refined the pro
cess. At present the process is on a
laboratory scale but can be scaled
up to a commercial level. The only
major hurdle still to be crossed,
Coleman says, is an efficient
method of separating the lactic
acid from other components of the
treated waste.
A major economic advantage to
using the waste from potatoes and
cheese to make degradable plas
tics is that the raw material can be
gained from large and readily
identifiable sources, i.e. food pro
cessing plants, and that it is fairly
clean and free of contaminants,
Ground Chicken Is Here
Hamburger lovers look out! The defined as ground beef, is about a
newest ground meat on the market $lO million industry,
comes from chickens. International Dehydrated Foods
Using the leg and thigh meat, j n Springfield, Mo., is making and
w ch are slow movers, poultry marketing ground chicken nation
processors are hoping to grab a w j de under the name Menu
s' are of the hamburger market. Master. It is sold primarily as a fro-
by law is zen product in one-to 2,000-pound
packages. The product, which uses
both light and dark meat, has about
15 percent fat.
Retractable
Rodio Tractor Sales
North While Horse Pike
Hammonlon, NJ 08037
609-561-0141
Caldwell Tractor &
Equipment, Inc
480 U S Route 46
Fairfield hfj 07006
201-227-6772
Reed Brothers
Petticoat Bndge Rd
Columbus, NJ 08022
609-287-3363
Lancaster Farming Saturday, November 18,1989-D3
Coleman says. For example, one
large plant which processess pota
toes for french fries, produces
more than 80,000 gallons of clean
potato waste a day. This waste is
12 percent starch that can be con
verted to glucose and lactic acid.
Two additional and significant
advantages to plastics produced in
this way are one, thct they have
already been accepted by the FDA
as biocompatible and non
allergenic materials, and two, that
degradable plastics based on lactic
acid are already used for biomedi
cal applications and would seem
to have much larger markets if the
cost could be brought down.
This research was funded by the
Department of Energy’s Office of
Industrial programs. Argonne
National Laboratory is operated
by the University of Chicago for
DOE.
FRANK A.
FILLIPPO, INC.
- WANTED -
DISABLED & CRIPPLED
COWS. BULLS & STEERS
Competitive Prices Paid
Slaughtered under
government inspection
Call: Frank Fillippo -
Residence - 215-666-0725
Elam Ginder - 717-367-3824
C.L. King - 717-786-7229
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