Science Scene - Green Plastic, Liquid Wood

A German company called TECNARO is responsible for manufacturing liquid wood. Liquid wood is an innovative material used to make a bioplastic that ismore eco-friendly than petroleum made plastics, which are non-biodegradable and can contain carcinogens and other toxic substances.   The uses for TECNARO's innovative bioplastic could save money, fossil fuels and other natural resources.


Liquid wood, also known as ARBOFORM®, is the ecological, aesthetic alternative to plastics products.  Although Arbo means tree in Latin, making Arboform does not require the destruction of more trees to be made. Instead a byproduct called Lignin from the pulp industry is used.   Lignin is an important ingredient in wood. It is taken out of paper to make it turn white. There is about is about 50 million tones produced per year. So, this excess amount of lignin can be recycled into Arboform instead of wasted.

When lignin is mixed with natural additive such as wax and plant fibers such as flax and hemp it could be made into a strong, non-toxic renewable plastic material. The material can then be melted and injection molded. The end product looks a lot like the plastic used in many household items today or like highly polished wood.  Toys, furniture, coffins, golf tees, shoes and other products have already been made with Arboform. 


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Can You Do Magic?

Are you sick and tired of pressing those tiny buttons on your TV remote? Then you may be interested in this. This nicely crafted "magical item" can control up to 13 different infrared codes (a.k.a. "change channel," "on/off," "volume," etc.) from your existing remotes. These functions are then activated when you fling and swish the wand around. As it is completely button-free, there's no other way to do it. Each function is assigned a different move of the wand. For example "spins" control volume, while "big swishes" mute the volume entirely.


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Going Green - Gen X Style

A freshman studying industrial design at the College For Creative Studies in Detroit undertook an ecological revamp of Coca Cola bottles and packaging for his mid-term project. Funny thing happened on the way to handing it in; Andrew Kim's design fans started blogging it and Kim is getting rave reviews internationally for the design. The Eco Coke Bottle is brilliant!

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