Controlled-microstructure biopolymers: from synthesis to processing and final disintegration through composting

该提案的主要目标是通过将可控微结构生物可降解聚合物与化学处理（牛皮纸）纸浆纤维和由Papprican生产的绒毛浆纤维（再生纤维素纤维如Lyocell的前体）相结合，开发新型，可持续，环境友好的聚合物基纳米复合材料。可控微结构的生物可降解聚合物将使用不列颠哥伦比亚省大学（UBC）化学系最近开发的和其他正在开发的新技术合成，这些聚合物是聚（己内酯）、聚（乳酸）和聚（羟基丁酸酯）。现有的可生物降解的聚合物产品具有有限范围的物理性质，这可以用新的聚合物制剂来增强，包括可生物降解的聚合物和/或嵌段共聚物与木纤维的组合，以产生具有广泛机械特性的完全可堆肥的聚合物。提高生物聚合物的这些机械性能，使其与许多石油基塑料的机械性能相当，并开发创新技术，使其生产成本更低，这将是开发下一代绿色材料的第一步，也是重要的一步。被称为加工助剂的添加剂应被设计成提高其加工性以达到高生产水平。本研究还指出，需要从流变学的角度研究结构-性能关系，以便更好地了解分子结构-流变学-加工和可堆肥性之间的关系，以便更好地设计最终产品。这项研究的意义是多方面的。首先，它旨在通过解决新的生物降解聚合物的合成和改性来保护环境，以制备可堆肥塑料（可持续性）。其次，它指出通过减少对新聚合物（至少是石油基塑料）生产的需求来节省能源。最后，它是一类材料的整个生命周期的综合研究，从合成/起源到加工和应用，最后是完全分解/堆肥。

The main objective of this proposal is to develop novel, sustainable, environmentally-friendly, polymer based nanocomposites by combining controlled-microstructure biodegradable polymers with chemically treated (kraft) pulp fibers, and fluff pulp fibers (precursor to regenerated cellulose fibers like Lyocell) produced by Papprican. The biodegradable polymers of controlled microstructure will be synthesized using novel techniques recently developed and others under development at the department of Chemistry at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and these are poly(caprolactone), poly(lactic acid), and poly(hydroxybutyrate). Existing biodegradable polymer products suffer from a limited scope of physical properties, which could be enhanced with novel polymer formulations, including the combination of biodegradable polymers and/or block co-polymers with wood fibers to result in completely compostable polymers with a wide range of mechanical characteristics. Enhancing these mechanical properties of bio-polymers to make them comparable to those of many petroleum-based plastics and developing innovative technologies to make their production cheaper would be a first and important step for developing the next generation of green materials. Additives known as processing aids should be designed to enhance their processabilitiy to high production levels. This study also points to the need of studying the structure-property relationship from the rheological point of view in order to better understand relationships between molecular structure-rheology-processing and compostability for a better design of the final products. The significance of this research points in multiple directions. Firstly, it aims to protect the environment by addressing the synthesis and modification of new biodegradable polymers for the preparation of compostable plastics (sustainability). Secondly, it points to energy savings by reducing the demand for the production of new polymers, at least petroleum-based plastics. Finally, it is an integral study of the full life cycle of a class of materials beginning from their synthesis/genesis to processing and applications and finally their full decomposition/composting.