The provided diagram illustrates the step-by-step process involved in the manufacturing of biodegradable plastic, utilizing corn starch as the primary raw material.
Overall, it is a sequential, five-stage process that begins with the agricultural harvesting of corn, progresses through several physical and biochemical processing stages, and culminates in the industrial production of eco-friendly plastic consumer goods.
The process commences with the harvesting of mature corn plants. Once collected, the corn undergoes a starch extraction phase, where the kernels are mechanically ground and separated in a specialized machine to isolate the raw starch. Following this physical separation, the extracted starch is transferred into a large holding tank for fermentation. During this biochemical stage, microorganisms are introduced to the tank to ferment the starch.
Upon completion of the fermentation process, the resulting material is moved to another specialized reactor for polymerization. In this vessel, the fermented mixture is processed with chemical catalysts, converting it into a plastic polymer. Subsequently, this polymerized substance is fed through an extruder and formed into small, solid pellets. In the final stage of the process, these pellets are used as the raw manufacturing material to be molded into various biodegradable end-products, such as shopping bags, food containers, and disposable cutlery.