WICO 2021 awarded the gold medal for the research Synthesis of biodegradable polymer films from cassava starch, plasticizer, and crosslink agents. This research was carried out by a group of students from TH School (Hanoi), under the instruction and supervision of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tong Thi Thanh Huong - Vice Dean of Oil and Gas Faculty, Hanoi University of Mining and Geology (HUMG). HUMG facilitated the TH School competition team to use the University's laboratory to conduct experiments. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team could only submit their research results by a video clip presented in English by all members.
Certificate of gold medal awarded to TH School team
Synthesis of biodegradable polymer films from cassava starch, plasticizer, and crosslink agents is a unique and eco-friendly idea. Unlike synthetic polymer films from petrochemical raw materials that are difficult to decompose in nature, polymer films from cassava starch are easy to decompose and do not cause adverse effects on the environment. However, the pure starch film is less durable and has low elongation. The research team has added some environmentally friendly plasticizers to overcome this issue, making the film more durable and still ensuring good biodegradability and non-toxicity. The committee of WICO 2021 has highly appreciated the idea as creative and convincing experiments. In addition, the jury was impressed with the excellent English presentation of the research team.
Incredibly, one of the members of the TH School team is Le Bao Khue, the daughter of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Hai An, the late Deputy Minister of Education and Training of Viet Nam and the late Rector of the Hanoi University of Mining and Geology. This achievement demonstrates the creative capacity and passion for research of Le Bao Khue and her friends, the inspiration and enthusiastic supervision of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tong Thi Thanh Huong, who was spending nearly five months of hard work with the group in the laboratory of HUMG every weekend before the lastest COVID-19 epidemic at the beginning of May. The support of HUMG for the competition team is both its responsibility to the community and expressing the University's gratitude to the late respectable Rector.
The video presenting the research of winning the gold medal of Le Bao Khue and her friends, with pictures of experiments conducted at HUMG’s laboratory can be found here.
Below is the poster of research presented at WICO 2021:
