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

爱荷华州立大学（ISU）、佐治亚大学（UGA）、华盛顿州立大学（WSU）和北达科他州立大学（NDSU）的生物塑料和生物复合材料中心（CB2）寻求发展和建立一个专注于生物塑料和生物复合材料的产学研合作研究中心（I/UCRC）。CB2的使命是发展与生物塑料和生物复合材料相关的基础知识，向工业传播研究成果，以促进可持续性，并培养未来的科学家和工程师。因此，业界对利用研究努力加速这些新型塑料和复合材料的标准化材料和加工数据的系统开发表达了兴趣。该中心的重点是在可持续制造领域创造就业机会，并将农业和木本作物转化为生物基材料，这有助于在美国创造就业机会。该中心还致力于通过本科生和研究生参与可持续材料的研究来支持教育和多样性。CB2的目标是提高生物塑料和生物复合材料的合成、加工、性能和复合的基本知识，为工业合作伙伴开发可靠的材料特性数据，并支持可再生材料的大规模工业实施。该中心的愿景是开发知识，促进用可再生原料生产一系列高价值产品，包括塑料、涂料、粘合剂和复合材料。这些材料与当前的工业制造系统兼容，促进农村发展和国家增长。第二阶段的目标有四个方面：1)扩大知识和发展可持续材料的回收和报废处理科学，特别是当它们与石化塑料混合时；2)通过吸引那些表示需要回收和报废处理的新公司来扩大会员资格；3)发展可持续材料的基础知识；4)培养学生具备行业所需的知识和技能。研究团队包括聚合物加工、聚合物化学、材料科学和作物利用领域的专家。UGA的研究重点是寿命终止评估，植物生物质价值评估，涂料和粘合剂以及各种工业应用的聚合物。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 Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites (CB2) at Iowa State University (ISU), University of Georgia (UGA), Washington State University (WSU), and North Dakota State University (NDSU) seeks to develop and build on an Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) that focuses on bioplastics and biocomposites. The mission of CB2 is to develop fundamental knowledge related to bioplastics and biocomposites, to disseminate research-based findings to industry to promote sustainability, and to educate future scientists and engineers. As such, there is an expressed industrial interest in leveraging research efforts to accelerate systematic development of standardized material and processing data for these novel plastics and composites. The center focusses on the development of jobs in the area of sustainable manufacturing and the conversion of agricultural and woody crops to bio-based materials that contribute to job creation in the United States. The center also strives to support education and diversity through engagement of undergraduate and graduate students in research on sustainable materials. The goal of CB2 is to improve the basic knowledge of synthesis, processing, properties, and compounding of bioplastic and biocomposite materials, to develop reliable materials characteristics data for industrial partners, and to support large-scale industrial implementation of renewable materials. The vision of the center is to develop knowledge that will facilitate the production of an array of high-value products, including plastics, coatings, adhesives, and composites, from renewable feedstocks. The materials are compatible with current industrial manufacturing systems and promote rural development as well as national growth. The goals of the Phase II are fourfold: 1) expand the knowledge and develop the science for recycling and end of life treatment of sustainable materials, in particular as they are mixed with petrochemical plastics; 2) expand membership by engaging new companies that have expressed a need for recycling and end of life treatment; 3) develop fundamental knowledge on sustainable materials; 4) prepare students to join the workforce equipped with the knowledge and skills required by industry. The team of researchers includes experts in the fields of polymer processing, polymer chemistry, materials science, and crop utilization. UGA’s research focuses on end-of-life assessment, plant biomass valorization, coatings and adhesives, and polymers for various industry applications.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.