[LUM#1] From wood to plastic

[LUM Magazine] - Published on November 3, 2015 in Science-Society

Everyone's looking, but so far they're the only ones to have found a natural, non-toxic alternative to bisphenol A. Thanks to the work of chemists at the Charles Gerhardt Instituteplastic is fantastic.

It was everywhere: in cans, soda cans, paints, baby bottles. And yet, its impact on health is well established: even in very low doses, it disrupts our hormones. Bisphenol A has been banned from food packaging since January^1, 2015. The problem is that no worthy replacement has yet been found. In the meantime, manufacturers are using two substitutes, bisphenol F and bisphenol S, which are close cousins. So close that they too are suspected of being dangerous to health.

A unique alternative made in Montpellier

" The only solution was to find a compound with the same properties as bisphenol A - resistant to impact, heat and chemicals, but non-toxic," explains Sylvain Caillol, a researcher at the Charles Gerhardt Institute. Sylvain Caillol began working on this challenge in 2008. " I worked for 10 years in the chemical industry, so I knew that bisphenol A was classified as a toxic compound and that one day it would be banned ".

When he joined ICGM, the pioneering chemist was quick to launch research into a viable alternative. The aim: to replace bisphenol with a non-hazardous, biobased compound. " We knew that what gave bisphenol A its interesting properties was its benzene ring. So we looked for molecules in nature that possessed this same benzene ring. And the researchers discovered the ideal candidate: vanillin.

Natural and ecological

This molecule, which comes from wood lignin, has exactly the same properties as bisphenol A, but without the defects. " Vanillin has been used for a very long time in the food industry to flavor yoghurts, for example. It is highly biodegradable in the human body and has no effect on health," stresses the chemist. Another advantage: vanillin is an environmentally-friendly alternative. " It is derived from a renewable material, and its exploitation has no environmental impact in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. What' s more, it's a resource that can be exploited locally," explains Sylvain Caillol.

A number of companies have expressed interest. Having successfully tested vanillin, they are now ready to take the plunge into large-scale production. The start of production could be imminent, " within a few years if all goes well ".

Key words : Chemistry, LUM#1, LUM Magazine, Plastic, Research, Health