Bioplastic polymers based on aromatic dicarboxylic acids derived from lignin

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Aromatic chemicals are crucial in bioplastics to convey functionality, including strength and flexibility. Currently, thesearomatic chemicals can only be sourced from fossil based inputs, limiting applications, increasing the cost andenvironmental impact. Lignin, the 2nd most abundant organic polymer in plants, is one of the few potential natural sourcesof aromatic chemicals. Building on a successful feasibility study that proved that the aromatic diacids inherent within lignincould be extracted and substituted in polyester based plastics, this project aims to demonstrate that these metabolites canbe produced in a commercially viable manner by the innovative use of modified bacteria to selectively control lignindisintegration when matched with novel chemical processes in scalable batch/continuous reactors. Larger trials will convertthe resultant kg quantities of diacids into novel block copolyesters, for evaluation in a high value global bioplastics marketof value >£150m.