SBIR Phase I: Sustainable Packaging Foam

SBIR 第一阶段：可持续包装泡沫

• 批准号: 1938479
• 负责人: John Felts
• 金额: $ 22.5万
• 依托单位: Cruz Foam, Inc.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2020-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1938479&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Sustainable; Packaging; Foam

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is the reduction in single use plastics contributing to landfill waste and ocean pollution by replacing them in packaging with a fully biodegradable and naturally sourced alternative. With its water-based proprietary technology, the material developed in this project will transform shrimp shells into foam to replace conventional single-use packaging. The advantages of this material include mechanical properties competitive with non-sustainable alternatives at cost-competitive production. This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop the basic technology to scale the production of a compostable and recyclable foam made of chitin. Chitin is a polysaccharide derived from shrimp shell waste. The material has the same mechanical properties and thermal insulation as polystyrene foam. Currently, this material is made with a hot molding process that creates high-quality foam, but it is challenging to scale for mass production of the volumes required to service the packaging industry. With this project, the company will develop a process that is fully scalable and uses existing equipment for the production of polystyrene foam for quicker adoption. The goals of the new process are to generate the same mechanical strength, thermal insulation, and density as polystyrene foam. The team will vary the foam composition and processing parameters to achieve the desired properties.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.

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是通过用完全可生物降解和天然来源的替代品取代包装中的一次性塑料来减少造成垃圾填埋场废物和海洋污染的一次性塑料。凭借其水基专有技术，该项目开发的材料将虾壳转化为泡沫，以取代传统的一次性包装。这种材料的优点包括机械性能与非可持续替代品竞争，成本竞争力强。 这个小企业创新研究第一阶段项目将开发基本技术，以规模化生产由甲壳素制成的可堆肥和可回收泡沫。甲壳素是从虾壳废料中提取的多糖。该材料具有与聚苯乙烯泡沫相同的机械性能和隔热性能。目前，这种材料是用热成型工艺制成的，可以产生高质量的泡沫，但要大规模生产服务于包装行业所需的数量是具有挑战性的。通过该项目，该公司将开发一种完全可扩展的工艺，并使用现有设备生产聚苯乙烯泡沫塑料，以便更快地采用。 新工艺的目标是产生与聚苯乙烯泡沫相同的机械强度、隔热性和密度。 这个奖项反映了NSF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。