Design and characterization of novel composite bioplastics with antimicrobial and enhanced mechanical, thermal and electrical properties

Certain metals are known to be lethal to microorganisms. However, plastics do not have such properties. Here, we present a novel class of bioplastics that are embedded with metals to give them antimicrobial properties. Bioplastic is an alternative to petroleum-based plastic that is biodegradable, does not release harmful gases into the environment when produced, and is not harmful to the environment. The properties of bioplastics can be improved by embedding materials that excel in these properties in the bioplastic. We used several enhancers to improve the electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and tensile strength of bioplastic. Our results showed that all these properties were improved several fold in bioplastic by adding select additives. Graphite, in particular, improved the electrical conductivity by over 10,000 times and tensile strength by over 5 times. Our results also show that copper embedded bioplastics are effective in slowing down or preventing antimicrobial growth over 24 hours.