Water soluble water bottles?
This is one of the most commonly asked questions, how can a water soluble material be used to replace conventional plastics given that so many of them are being used in contact with liquids and/or water?
We understand that our tech seems counterintuitive which is why the initial reaction is almost always to challenge Timeplast's materials by referring to water bottles, high humidity zones, and other water-contact/under the rain or outdoor-type of applications. It is a natural first thought that comes to mind. However, Timeplast’s main technological point (even the reason behind our company’s name) is the water-resistance’s programmability of our hydro soluble portfolio. Making a plastic non-soluble is actually easy, which is why almost all commercial plastics are non-soluble. Manufacturing materials which are water resistant for a pre-selected period of time (thus our name), which are then fully soluble (like sugar), is the complex problem which Timeplast has solved.
Having said that, the majority of the materials (in total mass terms) used today are not in contact with a significant amount of water. For example, when you enter a grocery store, most of the plastic cardboard, paper, glass and metal containers are not holding water or liquid products at all.
We made a video of how many applications not in contact with water we can substitute now just to help dissipate that notion https://youtu.be/xArguyKy8q4
In other words, even if we never addressed the water-contact applications, there is still an overwhelming majority of materials that can be successfully substituted by Timeplast. In fact PET, the conventional plastic used for water resistant applications, is not nearly the most sold plastic in the world. Polyethylene is the most commonly used plastic in the market today and one which is perfectly suitable for replacement with our technology.
We will go after water-contact applications given that our vision is to be able to substitute, and/or to initiate/push a global transition in the materials’ market.
Technically speaking any liquids’ interaction with Timeplast will depend on its free-flowing water content. Oils have 0% free-flowing water for example, milk 97.5%. Each of these are addressable through molecular programming. This being said, even water bottles can be made with Timeplast with one caveat, they will not last as long as conventional PET but they will last for what we believe to be enough time for the industry to operate without issue. This is possible because of three embedded features for water resistance’s programmability; 1)Copolymerization level 2) Final preselected molecular weight and 3) Homogeneous-bonding excipient capabilities.
To further explain just one of the points, feature number 3 will stop water from reaching the core polymer chain, in other words Timeplast's dissolution does not start immediately on contact, with the use of powder paper (one of our excipients), which in combination with the glue-like pre-dissolved nature of our chains, creates a micro layer of non-soluble inter material between our polymer and the solvent itself. In other words imagine a wet paper towel, it will hold weight until it tears. As we know, cellulose is non-soluble. During the programmed period, the Timeplast bottle will perform as expected.
Timeplast can be both recycled and reused, while also having the best performance in nature of any material when discarded. In the case of reuse, moisture will not affect our shelf life, even if our materials get wet (so long as there is a drying period in which the products are not in contact with water). In applications such as reusable items, packaging materials left in the rain, or shampoo bottles in a bathroom for example, items will be fine for long periods of time. However once they reach a body of water such as a river, lake or ocean for 60 consecutive hours, they will fully dissolve.
I hope this helps!
