I-Corps: Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) bioplastics produced from waste resources

这个I-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是从废物资源中开发生物可降解塑料，以取代包装中的石油基塑料。对塑料包装的需求不断增加，再加上塑料废物不可避免地排放到环境中，给世界带来了巨大的污染问题。消费品价值链中的实体迫切需要解决这些问题，表现为不断变化的客户需求和立法压力。不幸的是，回收并不是一个可行的全球解决方案。此外，由于成本、可持续性、功能和/或生物降解性等问题，目前大多数可用的生物塑料替代品都不被认为是可行的。新型可生物降解塑料包装的成功开发和商业化不仅可以解决可持续性的环境需求，而且还可以创造一个更强大的包装经济，由解决商业和环境问题的技术驱动。这个I-Corps项目是基于开发从废物资源中生产的聚羟基烷酸酯（PHA）共聚物。长期以来，由于材料缺乏通用性以及基于粮食作物的生产技术，pha的实施一直受到阻碍。将大量废物流升级为新型PHA共聚物和共混物可能克服这些障碍，并解决PHA在包装中取代石油基塑料所需的技术挑战。利用废弃资源生产pha可显著降低成本，提高生产的可持续性。目前，商业化的PHA技术仅限于结合少数几种不同的PHA单体，如4碳聚羟基丁酸酯（PHB）和中链长度（MCL） 6碳PHA聚羟基己酸酯（PHHx）。生物塑料工业应用的重要特性，如熔融温度、结晶动力学、弹性和杨氏模量，可以通过在生物聚合物产品中加入不同的单体单元来改善。该技术的研究和开发已经证明了整个PHB-co-MCL共聚物和共混物家族的可行性，包括从4到14个碳的所有单体单元。这可能允许生产各种完全可生物降解的生物基包装材料。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 broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of biodegradable plastics from waste resources to replace petroleum-based plastics in packaging. Continually increasing demand for plastic packaging, coupled with the inevitable escape of plastic waste into the environment, is posing a monumental pollution issue for the world. Entities within the consumer goods value chain have a pressing need to address these issues, manifested in the form of changing customer demands and legislative pressures. Unfortunately, recycling is not a feasible global solution. Also, most currently available bioplastic alternatives are not considered viable due to issues of cost, sustainability, functionality, and/or biodegradability. The successful development and commercialization of novel biodegradable plastics for packaging may not only address an environmental need for sustainability, but also may create a stronger packaging economy driven by technologies that address both commercial and environmental problems.This I-Corps project is based on the development of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) copolymers produced from waste resources. Implementation of PHAs has long been hindered by lack of versatility in the material, as well as production technologies based on using food crops. Upcycling abundant waste streams into novel PHA copolymers and blends may overcome these hindrances and address the technical challenges required for PHAs to replace petroleum-based plastics in packaging. Basing production of PHAs on waste resources may significantly reduce the cost and improve the sustainability of production. Currently, commercialized PHA technologies are limited to incorporating only a handful of different PHA monomers, such as the 4-carbon polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and the medium chain length (MCL) 6-carbon PHA polyhydroxyhexanoate (PHHx). Important properties for industrial application of bioplastics, such as the melting temperature, crystallization kinetics, elasticity, and Young’s modulus, may be improved by incorporation of different monomer units into the biopolymer product. Research and development into this proposed technology has demonstrated feasible production of a whole family of PHB-co-MCL copolymers and blends, incorporating all monomer units from 4 to 14 carbons. This may allow for production of a diverse array of fully biodegradable bio-based packaging materials.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.