INTEC receives biodegradability equipment donated by the Caribe Circular project
The equipment is used to measure the percentage of biodegradability in aerobic and anaerobic conditions of materials of interest, with the aim of determining whether they are environmentally friendly and could be good substitutes for conventional plastics.
SANTO DOMINGO. - With the aim of measuring the biodegradability of materials created as substitutes for plastic, the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC) received the first polymer biodegradability equipment for the Bioplastics and Biomaterials Innovation Unit of the Environmental Management Center -CEGA, through a donation from the regional project “Prevention of plastic waste in the seas of Central America and the Caribbean “Circular Caribbean”
This project is implemented by the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), in coordination with The Central American Commission on Environment and Development (CCAD) of the Central American Integration System (SICA) and the Government of the State of Quintana Roo through Secretariat of Ecology and Environment (SEMA), and funded by the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) from Germany and the European Union (EU).
Following the integration of the BPC Blue Premium Light equipment, designed for aerobic and anaerobic environments, in solid and aqueous media, biodegradability studies have been incorporated into the university for the analysis of the decomposition capacity of a material of interest under different conditions.
At the ribbon-cutting ceremony to receive the equipment at the Bioplastics and Biomaterials Innovation Unit, the ambassador of the European Union in the Dominican Republic, Katja Afheldt; the ambassador of Germany in the country, Maike Friedrichsen; the rector of INTEC, Julio Sánchez Maríñez, the regional director of the Caribe Circular project, Eva Ringhof, and the coordinator of Caribe Circular in the Dominican Republic, Peter Sommer, were present. Likewise, Diana Corrales, coordinator of the Environmental Management Center (CEGA INTEC).
During the meeting, those present visited the facilities of the Unit and explored the projects carried out guided by Pamela Tejada Tejada, head of the Reactors and Bioreactors Laboratory and a specialist in Biotechnology at the Unit.
Within the framework of the project, INTEC researchers are working on the extraction of alginate for subsequent polymerization, in order to obtain a biopolymer, and are exploring its industrial applications. They are also developing bioplastics based on starch reinforced with coconut fibers, and creating boards from rice husks and sargassum.
About the Bioplastics and Biomaterials Innovation Unit
It is the result of the “Caribe Circular” project, which aims to promote the transition towards a circular economy, promoting sustainable technological solutions to gradually reduce and replace conventional plastics. The Bioplastics and Biomaterials Innovation Unit is equipped with advanced technology to carry out chemical and microstructural characterization studies and physical-mechanical tests.
Its services include ecotoxicology, biodegradability and compostability studies, prototype development and sustainability analysis. In addition, the unit offers specialized courses and postgraduate programs on biomaterials and bioplastics to the industry and the general public, fulfilling the objective of supporting companies in the innovation of sustainable products.
The Unit has forged strategic alliances with national and international entities, such as SOS Carbon, Consorcio Cítricos Dominicanos, Font Gamundi, ADIPLAST, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and MSMEs (MICM), the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) through its University Institute of Materials Technology (IUTM) and the Plastics Technology Institute AIMPLAS, significantly expanding its research and development capacity.
Through this unit, students from Engineering and Biotechnology and Biochemistry courses have also been incorporated into research projects, providing them with a platform to apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios.