STTR Phase I: Advanced Poly(lactide) (PLA) Materials for Extruded Sheet Applications

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。该小企业技术转让第一阶段项目是对主题多功能材料（MM），子主题可持续发展材料（MS）的响应。位于明尼苏达州的北方技术国际公司（NTIC）与位于密歇根州东兰辛的密歇根州立大学（MSU）合作，计划制定和设计化学改性的生物基和可生物降解的聚（丙交酯）基化合物，以产生一类新材料，该材料具有高强度、轻质、多功能和环境友好的成本效益，可替代石油基聚合物。NTIC已成功地将一系列用于挤出、模塑和涂层应用的反应性混合生物基和/或生物可降解树脂商业化。然而，由于当前PLA材料的机械性能差、价格高和密度高，它面临着一个主要障碍。该项目的目标是：（1）使用新型的相容化和冲击改性化学物质来制造先进的PLA生物树脂，以提供更好的韧性和耐热性;（2）通过工程化微孔发泡片材来提高生物基材料的经济可行性。新合成的材料将控制挤出片材和注塑部件的机械和热性能，以扩大生物基聚乳酸（PLA）的工业应用范围，同时通过减少碳足迹来保护环境。NTIC新制作的PLA化学品的目标市场是目前使用石油基塑料的挤出和热成型片材应用，如丙烯酸，聚苯乙烯，聚丙烯，等等.这些包括购买点显示器，零售装置，室内标牌，信用卡，礼品卡，酒店房间钥匙卡，热成型托盘和食品和非食品应用的浴缸。NTIC估计总潜力高达2.5亿美元。此外，该STTR项目第一和第二阶段的成功实施&将在未来产生如下技术、环境和经济影响：（1）拓宽基于PLA的应用的性能窗口;（2）进一步了解PLA及其化学性质;（3）大大增加生物基产品在较大工业和包装市场中的使用，这意味着化石燃料资源的环境保护;以及（4）为新开发的Natur-Tec®产品的销售、制造和技术支持创造最多10个工作岗位。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).This Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I project is responsive to topic Multi-Functional Materials (MM), Subtopic Materials for Sustainability (MS). Northern Technologies International Corporation (NTIC), MN, in collaboration with Michigan State University (MSU), East Lansing, MI, plans to formulate and engineer chemically modified biobased and biodegradable Poly(Lactide)-based compounds to generate a new class of materials that are high strength, lightweight, multifunctional and an environmentally-friendly & cost-effective alternative to the petroleum-based polymers. NTIC has successfully commercialized a portfolio of reactive blended biobased and/or biodegradable resins for extrusion, molding and coating applications. However, it faces a major hurdle due to poor mechanical properties, high prices and higher densities of current PLA materials. The objective of this project is to (1) use novel chemistries of compatibilization and impact modification to create advanced PLA bioresins that offer improved toughness and heat resistance; (2) improve economic viability of biobased materials by engineering microcellular foamed sheets. The newly synthesized materials would control the mechanical and thermal properties of extruded sheets and injection-molded parts to broaden the scope of industrial applications of biobased Polylactide (PLA) while providing environmental preservation by reducing their carbon foot print.NTIC's target market for the newly crafted PLA chemistries is extruded and thermoformed sheet applications currently using petroleum based plastics such as acrylic, polystyrene, polypropylene, etc.. These include point-of-purchase displays, retail fixtures, indoor signage, credit cards, gift cards, hotel room keycards, thermoformed trays and tubs both for food and non-food applications. NTIC estimates the gross potential to be as high as $250 million. Furthermore, successful implementation of Phase I & II of this STTR project will have technical, environmental and economical impacts in the future, as follows: (1) widen the window of performance of PLA-based applications; (2) further fundamental understanding of PLA and its chemistries (3) greatly increase the use of biobased products in larger industrial and packaging markets implying environmental preservation of fossil fuel resources; and (4) create upto 10 jobs for sales, manufacturing, technical support of newly developed Natur-Tec® products.