Ten disks from one ear of corn
22 Oct 2003
Working in conjunction with Mitsui Chemicals, Sanyo Electric has developed a process for manufacturing optical disks from polylactic acid that has been derived from corn.
Traditionally, CDs are made from polycarbonate, which is lightweight, strong, heat-resistant and transparent. But although polycarbonate is an ideal material for disks, a special facility is needed to generate the extremely high temperatures required to burn and dispose of disks made from the material.
Sanyo's new 'MildDisks', however, can be broken down into water and carbon dioxide by microorganisms in the ground, completely alleviating the disposal problem.
The 'MildDisks', which can be used for music CD's, CD-ROM's and Video CD's, will be available in December according to the company.
