Question: Consider the following statements:
i) A team of Indian scientists have developed a new polymer using guar gum and chitosan, both of which are polysaccharides extracted from guar beans and shells of crab and shrimps.
ii) New polymer is environmentally friendly, non-toxic and biodegradable.
Which of the above two are correct?
a) i
b)ii
c) Both i and ii
d) none
Ans: c
Context
- A team of Indian scientists have developed an environmentally friendly, non-toxic, biodegradable polymer using guar gum and chitosan, both of which are polysaccharides extracted from guar beans and shells of crab and shrimps.
Related Facts
- The fabricated guar gum-chitosan film has high water stability, high mechanical strength, and excellent resistance to harsh environmental condition.
- It can potentially be used in packaging applications.
- Polysaccharide is one of the biopolymers with high potential for use in synthesis of packaging material.
- However, due to some drawbacks of polysaccharides, such as low mechanical properties, high water-solubility, and low barrier properties, they are not preferred.
- Dr. Devasish Chowdhury, Associate Professor, and Sazzadur Rahman, Inspire Junior Research Fellow, fabricated a guar gum-chitosan composite film which is a cross-linked polysaccharide.
- They synthesized the film without using any plasticizer with the help of a method called the solution casting method (a simple technique to make polymer films).
By kameshwar shukla
Reference; https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1761050