Phase I IUCRC at University of Georgia: Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites (CB2)

第一阶段的奖励支持在乔治亚大学现有的生物塑料和生物复合材料中心（CB2）上建立一个新的工业/大学合作研究中心（IUCRC）。CB2目前包括爱荷华州立大学、华盛顿州立大学以及该领域的行业和政府合作伙伴。佐治亚大学的基地将为该中心在新的可生物降解聚合物和添加剂、高级纤维、基于生物基原料的耐用涂料和饰面等领域提供额外的能力。CB2的现有成员将受益于佐治亚大学的教师专业知识和研究工具和基础设施。同样，佐治亚大学的网站将增加利用ISU和WSU的研究专业知识和设施的机会，这两所大学在可持续性，生物产品和生物塑料方面都有很强的项目。为CB2带来一个新的协同产业部门，将促进跨越生物产品供应链的新产业互动，使CB2成员能够领导其部门用可生物降解的替代品取代现有的塑料和包装材料，从而使新成员和现有成员都受益。学生将接受教育，接触到最前沿的研究和拓展机会，立即进入劳动力市场，有能力做出贡献并产生积极的影响。2014年，全球塑料产量达到2.99亿吨，据估计，由于垃圾管理不善（垃圾被乱扔或未在垃圾填埋场等有组织的系统中处理），每年有5至12亿吨塑料流入海洋。随着人口、塑料消费和废物产生的不断增加，预计到2025年，海洋的累计排放量将高达2.5亿吨。在今天生产的所有塑料中，约有40%用于包装，这些材料在使用后会立即被扔掉。包装行业在全球拥有500多万员工，2018年的销售额估计为1万亿美元。用可堆肥和/或可生物降解的材料取代持久性塑料材料的机会正在各种工业部门获得市场份额。除CB2外，佐治亚大学的基地主要是用包装工业中使用的可替代的、可生物降解的或可堆肥的塑料代替现有的塑料和包装材料，包括涂料、泡沫、非织造纤维和新型热塑性塑料，这些塑料具有优异的阻隔性能，可用于薄膜、薄板制品和过滤介质。作为CB2的一个站点，佐治亚大学将促进IUCRC中心的目标，包括由工业需求驱动的学术界创新。海洋中的塑料现在被认为是一个全球性问题，工业界对改变设计和生产水平非常感兴趣，以解决不可生物降解塑料的意想不到的后果。世界自然保护委员会的工作将使工业界能够在技术规模化对其成功至关重要的关键时刻进行创新和合作。学生将接受教育，并接触到最前沿的研究和拓展机会，以便立即进入劳动力市场，随时准备做出贡献并产生积极影响。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The Phase 1 award supports the establishment of a new Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) site at the University of Georgia to the existing Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites (CB2). CB2 currently includes Iowa State University, Washington State University, industry and government partners in the field. The University of Georgia site will provide additional capabilities for the center in the areas of new biodegradable polymers and additives, advanced fibers, and durable coatings and finishes based on biobased feedstocks. Current members of CB2 will benefit from UGA faculty expertise and the research tools and infrastructure at UGA. Likewise, the Site at UGA will increase the opportunities to leverage research expertise and facilities at ISU and WSU, both of which have strong programs in sustainability, bioproducts, and bioplastics. Bringing a new synergistic industry sector to CB2 will benefit both incoming and current members by facilitating new industrial interactions spanning the bioproducts supply chain and enable CB2 members to lead their sectors in replacing existing plastic and packaging materials with biodegradable alternatives. Students will be educated and exposed to cutting edge research and outreach opportunities to enter the workforce immediately, with the ability to contribute and have positive impact. In 2014, global plastic production reached 299 million metric tons (MMTs), with 5 to 12 MMTs estimated to reach our oceans annually due to mismanaged waste (waste that is littered or not handled in an organized system like a landfill). With increasing population, plastic consumption, and waste generation, a cumulative input of up to 250 MMTs into our oceans is predicted by 2025. Of all the plastics manufactured today, about 40% are used in packaging, material that will be immediately thrown away after use. The packaging industry employs over 5 million people worldwide and has estimated sales of $1 trillion in 2018. The opportunities to replace persistent plastic materials with those that are compostable and or biodegradable are gaining market share in a variety of industry sectors. The UGA site addition to CB2 is centered around replacing existing plastic and packaging materials with alternative, biodegradable or compostable plastics used in the packaging industry, including coatings, foams, nonwoven fibers, and novel thermoplastics with excellent barrier properties for films, sheet goods, and filtration media. As a Site addition to CB2, UGA will promote the IUCRC Center goals, including innovation in academia that is driven by industrial need. Plastics in the ocean is now recognized as a global issue, and industry is extremely interested in making changes in the design and production level to address the unintended consequences of non-biodegradable plastic. The work in this IUCRC will allow industry to innovate and collaborate at a critical time when scaling technologies is crucial to their success. Students will be educated and exposed to cutting edge research and outreach opportunities to enter the workforce immediately ready to contribute and have positive impacts.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.