I-Corps: High performance sustainable solution to plastic-based materials

这个i-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是研究新的生物塑料材料的翻译，作为石油材料的替代解决方案。对微塑料积累的环境问题日益关注，促使对新的替代材料的需求。石油产品(塑料、聚酯、尼龙等纤维)因为它们在环境中的持久性而臭名昭著，因为它们在垃圾填埋场中不能生物降解。从环境的角度来看，开发以纤维素为基础的材料至关重要。此外，棉花是美国最重要的经济作物之一，生产的棉纤维大多流向纺织业。然而，低麦克隆值(就纺织纺纱而言是低质量)是一个反复出现的问题，可以潜在地应用于其他利基市场。这个i-Corps项目是为了探索可生物降解材料的应用，这些材料来自从低质量棉纤维中提取的纤维素生物聚合物。尽管这些纤维被认为是纺织应用中的废物或折扣，但它们是高结晶和高分子量纤维素的优质来源。这项技术将纤维素转化为溶液，然后转化为目前由石油衍生聚合物生产的商品产品。概念验证已经通过生产3D打印材料、生物塑料薄膜(柔软和坚硬)和多孔材料进行了演示。这项技术能够溶解高分子量纤维素(来自棉纤维)，并将其转化为生物制品，从而可以制备性能卓越、用途广泛的基于纤维素的生物制品。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is to investigate translation of new bioplastic materials as an alternative solution to petroleum-based materials. The growing environmental concerns regarding the accumulation of microplastics inspires a need for new alternative materials. Petroleum-based products (plastics, fibers such as polyester, nylon, etc.) are notorious for their persistence in the environment because they are not biodegradable when disposed in landfills. From an environmental perspective, it is crucial to develop materials based on cellulose. In addition, cotton is one of the most important cash crops in the United States and most produced cotton fibers go to the textile industry. However, low micronaire (low quality in terms of textile spinning) is a recurring problem and can potentially be applied to other niche markets. This I-Corps project is to explore applications of biodegradable materials from cellulose biopolymer derived from low quality cotton fibers. Although considered as waste or discounted for textile applications, these fibers are a premium source of highly crystalline and high-molecular weight cellulose. The technology converts cellulose to a solution and subsequently to commodity products currently produced from petroleum-derived polymers. Proof-of-concept has been demonstrated through producing 3D printed materials, bioplastic films (flexible and stiff), and porous materials. The ability of this technology to dissolve high molecular weight cellulose (derived from cotton fibers) and its conversion to bioproducts allows preparation of superior performance and versatile cellulose-based bioproducts.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.