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Polymer Materials Science Lab
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The lab studies plastics that are made from plants and decompose in the environment after use.
AboutAbout the lab
Pioneering the future with eco-friendly polymers
The Polymer Materials Science Lab studies environmentally friendly plastics.
The lab creates "biomass plastics" made from plants and "biodegradable plastics" that break down into carbon dioxide and water in the environment.
Its work is wide-ranging: synthesizing plastics, processing them into films and fibers, analyzing their structures using large synchrotron radiation facilities, and evaluating how easily they degrade.
The lab aims to leave a sustainable society and a beautiful global environment to future generations.
Key terms
- Biomass plastics
- Plastics made from renewable resources such as plants, rather than from petroleum
- Biodegradable plastics
- Plastics that, after use, are broken down by microorganisms and other agents into carbon dioxide and water
- Synchrotron radiation
- Extremely intense light produced by a large particle accelerator, used to investigate the fine structure of materials
- Melt spinning
- A method of making fibers by melting plastic with heat and extruding it through fine holes
NewsLab news
A master's student won an Outstanding Poster Presentation Award at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Fiber Science and Technology, Japan
A postdoctoral researcher won an Outstanding Poster Presentation Award at the JACI/GSC Symposium
A postdoctoral researcher and students won an Outstanding Poster Presentation Award at the Eco-Materials Symposium
A postdoctoral researcher's paper was featured on the cover of ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering
ResearchResearch themes
The lab focuses on "biomass plastics," which are not made from petroleum, and "biodegradable plastics," which decompose in the environment after use. Its research spans basic to applied work from a broad range of perspectives, including chemical synthesis, biosynthesis, physical property evaluation, structural analysis, and enzymatic degradation.
*Illustrative imageStrong biodegradable fibers and films
The lab strengthens biodegradable polyesters, which microorganisms produce from sugars and plant oils, using new melt spinning and drawing methods. It develops materials for uses such as surgical sutures, fishing line, and agricultural films.
*Illustrative imageHigher-performance biodegradable plastics
To improve the performance of polylactic acid and other plastics made from sources such as corn, the lab examines their structures at the molecular level. It develops components such as nanofibers, taking into account properties such as being absorbed by the body.
*Illustrative imageNew materials from inedible plants
Current biomass plastics are made from edible raw materials such as starch. The lab aims to create new biomass plastics from polysaccharides such as the hemicellulose in wood and grasses.
*Illustrative imageComposite materials made entirely from biomass
The lab develops strong biomass-derived fibers and substances that promote crystallization. It uses composite materials made entirely from biomass to improve the performance of biomass plastics.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Polymer Materials Science Lab are faculty, technical specialists, a lab secretary, postdoctoral researchers, doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students, and research students.As of 2026
- ProfessorTadahisa IwataPublications ↗
- Project LecturerMasayoshi Honda
- Assistant ProfessorTaizo KabePublications ↗
- Project Assistant ProfessorJin Ho SeokPublications ↗
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Forest Chemistry LabFaculty of Agriculture, Major in Bio-based Materials ChemistryDegradation and synthesis of wood components (cellulose, hem…The information on this page is compiled by the LabLog team from the lab's public information and interviews. For corrections or removal requests, please contact LabLog, not the lab.
Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “BiodegradablePlasticUtensils2” Scott Bauer / Public domain (cropped)
- Strong biodegradable fibers and films: “Field under plastic mulch film - geograph.org.uk - 3955031” Stephen Middlemiss / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Higher-performance biodegradable plastics: “Micrografia di cristalli sferulitici di poli(idrossi butirrato) (PHB)” Armonia48 / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- New materials from inedible plants: “Bales of straw - geograph.org.uk - 340818” Richard Rice / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Composite materials made entirely from biomass: “Natural fibre polymer nabasco” Florian Gerlach (Nawaro) / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Paper Science Lab): “Nanocellulose” Innventia / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Wood Chemistry Lab): “Pine log cross-sections, Teutendorf” Radomianin / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Cellulose Chemistry Lab (Isogai Special Lab)): “Cotton boll nearly ready for harvest” Michael Bass-Deschenes(Commons User Mike Bass-Deschênes) / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Forest Chemistry Lab): “Trametes versicolor 2025 G1” George Chernilevsky / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
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