Day1Lab Material (Innocean)
Day1Lab invented a new plastic alternative material composed of marine biomass-derived carbohydrates, proteins, and natural additives. Unlike well-known biodegradable plastic material like PLA, Day1Lab’s new material (code name: D1L#1) can be degraded in authentic soil and marine environments. D1L#1 totally degrades within 2 months in soil and within 2 weeks in ocean environments without generating any microplastics. Combination of carbohydrate polymers, protein, and natural additives, a strong enough polymer composite was invented to substitute petroleum-derived plastics and pseudo-biodegradable plastics.
<Carbon Emission Reduction>
- D1L#1 feedstock material is estimated to emit 25% less CO2 (1.5kg less CO2) than that of biodegradable plastics because D1L#1 production process lacks biological treatment (fermentation and synthesis) process. Although both biodegradable plastics and D1L#1 use feedstock from nature, the biological treatment process usually generates excess CO2 and requires more energies that D1L#1 production generates is beneficial regarding carbon emission
<Perfect Degradation on natural environment>
- Internal verification for marine degradation of D1L#1 was done by mimicking ocean environments
- D1L#1 perfectly degraded after 2-weeks while PLA and PVC (polyvinyl chloride) remained the same
<Moisture Resistance>
- D1L#1 shows the moisture resistance property as good as that of petroleum-derived plastic
<Microplastic and Heavy Metal Free>
- No microplastic certificate was issued to D1L#1 by Korea Analysis Test Researcher after materials testing
- No heavy metal was detected. The test was done by Korea Testing & Research Institute (Figure 12)
<Harmless to Human body>
- To investigate the biohazard of D1L#1, human umbilical vein endothelial cell and derma fibroblast cell culture tests and artificial skin and blood vessel growth test was done. All experiments were done by doing collaboration research with professor Noo Li Jeon at Seoul National University
- The bright fluorescence spots (reference to IR page 8) represent healthy living cells and black spots represent inactive dead cells. Each specimens were exposed to TNF- α (inflammatory source), hyaluronic acid (natural polymer), and D1L#1. The human umbilical vein endothelial cell specimen exposed to D1L#1 shows a similar cell viability as that of control specimen. Dermal Fibroblast cell exposed to D1L#1 is not viable as that of control specimen, but it is still as viable as that of hyaluronic acid
- Artificial skin and blood vessel growth test shows the similar trend. The growth quality of artificial skin and blood vessel specimen exposed to D1L#1 is as good as that of control specimen while the specimen exposed to TNF- α barely grew-up