The culmination of a scientific career full of research in the field of materials chemistry, Professor Sami El Boufi, a professor at the Laboratory of Materials and Environmental Sciences at the Faculty of Science in Sfax, was awarded on July 14, the award for the best Tunisian researcher and inventor for the year 2020.
The award is granted by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Tunisia every year to distinguished researchers in appreciation of their research projects and scientific publications in refereed and highly radiant publications, and the successes and distinctions they have achieved inside and outside the country in various scientific and research fields.
Traditional plastic and its problem
Sami El Bofi is distinguished by his research and innovations to solve one of the most important environmental problems. If we look around, we will notice a large number of plastic items made from different types of polymers, which are materials that are found everywhere.
For decades, scientists have been interested in environmentally friendly bioplastics, given the great dangers posed by ordinary plastics and the great and terrible effects it has on the ocean, as most plastics do not biodegrade and remain in the environment for long periods.
Sami El Bofi (left): Working on the manufacture of biodegradable plastics is attracting a lot of attention today (Al-Jazeera)
In this context, Sami Al Bofi confirms - in his interview with Al Jazeera Net - that about 20% of plastic types spread in the oceans, indicating that their chemical interaction with natural factors - especially the sun - leads to gradual fragmentation, which ends up decomposing into minute particles of a size ranging from Between 100 µm and 0.1 µm (what are now called microplastics), which are consumed by fish and thus enter the food chain.
Al-Bovi adds that it is not known today the extent of the effects of these microplastics on health, because their discovery is recent (less than 5 years ago), and hence the need to replace plastic - especially used in packaging (which represents more than 40% of plastic). Produced in the world) - in biodegradable plastic.
Bioplastics for a more sustainable planet
Professor Albovey considers that biopolymers research aims to make the planet more sustainable and green, while reducing risks to the Earth, biopolymers - especially in the areas of short-term use, packaging, and in textile fibers - have become an important alternative to traditional petroleum-derived plastics.
In addition to the current risks, the long-term risks of plastics to the natural environment cannot be expected, especially with the discovery of microplastics that currently pollute all oceans, rivers, surface aquifers, agricultural fields, cities, etc.
Sami El Bofi: Today's bet is on the use of vegetable and food waste to produce biodegradable plastics (Al-Jazeera)
Al Bofi adds that awareness is still forming in many countries of the world to abandon ordinary plastic, especially in the areas of packaging and single-use materials, and to replace it with environmentally friendly bioplastics. However, the level of spread of this type of biodegradable plastic is still limited, as it does not exceed 2% of all plastics produced in the world.
Al-Bofi explains that this limited level of spread of environmentally friendly plastic does not prevent him from asserting that the trend is increasing towards relying on it, explaining that the issue is also related to legislation, the greater the ban on the use of single-use plastic in packaging, the higher this percentage, adding that if we can reach To a penetration level of this bioplastic of 10% we are certain that we will significantly reduce the generation of microplastics.
Biopolymers for a safe industry
Biopolymers are natural macromolecules that can be used to manufacture environmentally friendly products. They are highly biocompatible, environmentally benign, and the physical and mechanical properties of biomolecules are not up to par for direct industrial applications, particularly in the field of packaging and product formulations.
Therefore, according to Bovey, it has to undergo a certain degree of modification or new methods are devised to formulate biopolymers with added industrial value, and often additional polymeric units are incorporated during the manufacturing process.
Al Bofi: Preserving the environment, seas and oceans for future generations is invaluable (Al Jazeera)
Due to global population demands and the adverse environmental impacts of petrochemicals, biopolymers have gained significant interest in every alternative industry, but are more important in the food, packaging, and pharmaceutical industries, and are generally considered safe.
Al Bofi explains that scientists and researchers are keen in the process of producing bioplastics to make their components from natural sources that are harmless to the environment, and degradable in a way that does not harm the ocean and living organisms, adding that working on the manufacture of biodegradable plastics is attracting a lot of attention today from an academic point of view. and industrial.
A bet on palm waste
The current challenge - according to El Boffi - is the ability to produce biodegradable plastics with mechanical properties that compete with those of petroleum plastics, but not by using food products such as corn and others, but by using agricultural and food waste, and this is the most important challenge currently.
Every country has plant resources and waste rich in clean organic matter, and the bet is to be able to use a portion of this waste to produce biodegradable plastics.
Boufi considered that palm waste in Tunisia and the Arab world is the bet for the production of biodegradable plastic (Shutterstock)
Bofi explains that in Tunisia and the Arab countries in general, we have palm waste, which is an important plant resource that can be exploited to develop biodegradable plastic materials. It is a very important resource, but it is not valuable enough, as it is usually burned or destroyed.
"We have been working on this topic for more than 10 years, and we have used this waste to manufacture composites, nanomaterials and nanofibers that, when combined with biodegradable plastics, enhance these mechanical properties."
He adds, "The subject of this research is very innovative worldwide, and we have gained great experience in this field thanks to our contact and joint work with famous European universities and laboratories in several countries (France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Germany)."
cost of bioplastics
Bioplastic made of biopolymer is available industrially, but it is more expensive to produce and market than regular plastic, despite this, the majority of European countries - according to Professor Sami Al-Bouffy - adopt decomposing bags, and nearly 33 African countries ban regular plastic bags.
He explains that market growth and demand will inevitably affect the development of both research and manufacturing in the field of biopolymers and environmentally friendly plastics. However, he acknowledges that this trend in Tunisia is still faltering, and steps towards achieving it are still weak.
On the cost of producing bioplastics compared to regular plastics, Al-Boufi explains that its price is currently between two and three times the cost of conventional plastic, but it is constantly declining.
He added that when we talk about biodegradable plastics, we must put the cost in second place, because the plastics derived from petroleum, which have been developed for more than 60 years, cannot be compared with the biodegradable plastics whose industrial development does not exceed 10 years.
Al Bofi stresses the importance of developing appropriate legislation to support the competitiveness of environmentally friendly plastic materials, considering that imposing taxes on traditional plastic materials would stimulate a move to clean industries.