SBIR Phase I: Development of lignin-based biodegradable plastic alloys via solvent free reactive extrusion

这个小企业创新研究第一阶段项目将展示从农业和林业废物流中生产出一种新的生物基和可生物降解聚合物的能力，这种聚合物有可能减少农业作业中普遍存在的垃圾填埋、一次性塑料。在传统的农业操作中，农民使用塑料地膜来阻挡杂草并保持土壤中的水分，最终提高作物产量。不幸的是，由于土壤和农药的污染，使用的不可降解塑料在收获后必须被移除并送到垃圾填埋场，这导致了巨大的劳动力和处理成本，并增加了环境负担。在这个项目中，木质素聚合物合金被研究作为一种创新的可生物降解塑料平台，可以用作不可回收的传统材料的替代品。农业电影代表着25亿美元的全球市场。其他有吸引力的市场机会包括农业容器（50亿美元）、垃圾袋（100亿美元）和包装（1150亿美元）。木质素作为一种可再生原料，是制备低成本、可生物降解塑料的理想原料。木质素商业规模应用的成功示范对新兴的生物炼制工业至关重要，也是确保美国能源和材料未来的主要任务。该项目的智力优势在于满足了对低成本生物基塑料替代石油衍生材料的需求，同时确保了闭环生命周期，不会因废物积累而产生经济和环境负担。迄今为止，由于需要广泛的基于溶剂的改性和分离过程，基于木质素的聚合物已经非常昂贵。本研究项目的目的是展示木质素聚合物合金的生产：1)通过无溶剂、高剪切熔体加工，木质素未改性含量为50%或更高；2)增强界面表面积，提高材料耐久性；3)机械性能接近或超过低密度聚乙烯；4)在环境土壤和亲热堆肥条件下的生物降解性。预期的技术结果将是生产出至少一种符合上述条件的适合于农业地膜应用的最佳配方。如果这四个目标都能实现，第二阶段的进一步研究将允许大规模生产这种新型可持续生物材料，并有可能在美国生产出第一批商业上可行的木质素基塑料，用于农业塑料及其他领域。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will demonstrate the ability to create a new family of biobased and biodegradable polymers produced from agricultural and forestry waste streams that have the potential to mitigate landfill-bound, single-use plastics prevalent in agricultural operations. In conventional agricultural operations, farmers use plastic mulch films to block weeds and retain moisture in the soil, ultimately increasing crop yields. Unfortunately, the non-degradable plastics that are used must be removed after harvest and sent to a landfill as they are not recyclable due to contamination by soil and pesticides, leading to significant labor and disposal costs and increasing environmental burden. In this project, lignin polymer alloys are investigated as an innovative biodegradable plastic platform which can be used as an alternative to conventional materials that are not recyclable. Agriculture films represent a global market of $2.5 billion. Other attractive market opportunities include agricultural containers ($5 billion), garbage bags ($10 billion), and packaging ($115 billion). Lignin as a renewable feedstock is an excellent candidate for low cost, biodegradable plastics. Successful demonstration of commercial-scale uses for lignin is vital for the emerging biorefinery industry, and a primary task to secure the energy and materials future for the US.The intellectual merit of this project addresses the need for low-cost, biobased plastics to replace petroleum derived materials, while ensuring a closed-loop lifecycle that does not generate financial and environmental burden due to waste accumulation. To date, lignin-based polymers have been prohibitively expensive due to the need for extensive solvent-based modification and separations processes. The objective of this research project is to demonstrate the production of lignin-polymer alloys with: 1) unmodified lignin contents of 50% or higher through solvent-free, high shear melt processing; 2) enhanced interfacial surface area for material durability; 3) mechanical properties near or exceeding that of low-density polyethylene; and 4) biodegradability under both ambient soil and thermophilic composting conditions. The expected technical results will be production of at least 1 optimal formulation meeting the above conditions identified as suitable for use in agricultural mulch film applications. If all 4 of these are achieved, further research in a subsequent Phase II award will allow for demonstration of scaled manufacturing of this new family of sustainable biomaterials and has the potential to lead to some of the first commercially viable lignin-based plastics in the US for use in agricultural plastic applications and beyond.