A new approach to making bio-synthetic latexes in emulsion polymerization

EcoSynthetix Inc. (ECO)生产了一种新型的淀粉基纳米颗粒，称为EcoSphere®。符合 在世界范围内作为粘合剂用于替代合成的石油衍生聚合物。EcoSphere是 使用每年可再生的作物资源中的淀粉生产。ECO最近开发了一种新的 称为BioCore的可聚合纳米颗粒技术，使其能够共聚成生物基胶乳 混合动力产品，目前正在寻求新的市场和技术，这一创新产品。前几 项目，申请人提供了一个证明的原则，并成功地证明了 使用UO联合开发的方案将BioCore掺入稳定的乳液聚合物胶乳中， 皇后大道和ECO大道交叉口这些研究提出了一些必须提出的问题， BioCore更接近商业化，并提供必要的专利保护。一批务实 需要解决的基本问题： 1-必须完成BioCore及其各种等级的详细物理/化学表征。 2-对BioCore在胶乳稳定性和颗粒成核中的机械作用的基本理解 必须进一步发展。ECO将准备不同等级的BioCore来帮助我们实现这一目标。 3-BioCore对乳胶粒形态的作用有待进一步阐明。 4-工业上可应用的反应配方和聚合协议的发展，用于广泛的聚合反应。 聚合物系统的范围是必要的。这意味着实现了高固体含量胶乳（>45重量%） 具有高BioCore含量（>40 phm，份/百份单体）。 我们预计，该项目的结果将是破坏性的，并将导致生物核心成为主要的 该公司是市场上可再生材料含量最高的聚合物产品的组成部分。我们也期待 对环境的好处，来自减少石油原料的使用， 潜在地，更可生物降解的聚合物产品。

EcoSynthetix Inc. (ECO) manufactures a novel starch-based nanoparticle known as EcoSphere®. It is in worldwide commercial use as a binder to replace synthetic, petroleum-derived polymers. EcoSphere is produced using starches derived from annually renewable crop resources. ECO has recently developed a novel polymerizable nanoparticle technology known as BioCore to enable its copolymerization into biobased latex hybrid products and is currently seeking new markets and technologies for this innovative product. In previous projects with ECO, the applicants provided a proof-of-principle and successfully demonstrated the incorporation of BioCore into stable emulsion polymer latexes using a protocol jointly developed by UO, Queen's and ECO. These studies have led to a number of questions that must be asked in order to bring BioCore closer to commercialization and to provide necessary patent protection. A number of practical and fundamental issues need to be addressed: 1- A detailed physical/chemical characterization of BioCore and various grades thereof must be completed. 2- A fundamental understanding of the mechanistic role of BioCore in latex stability and particle nucleation must be further developed. ECO will prepare different grades of BioCore to help us achieve this goal. 3- The role of BioCore on latex particle morphology needs to be further clarified. 4- The development of an industrially applicable reaction formulation and polymerization protocol for a broad range of polymer systems is necessary. This implies the achievement of high solids content latexes (>45 wt.%) with high BioCore content (>40 phm, parts per hundred parts monomer). We expect that the results from this project will be disruptive and will lead BioCore to become the major component of polymer products with the highest levels of renewable materials on the market. We also expect benefits to the environment, emanating from both a reduction in the use of petroleum-based feedstock and potentially, a more biodegradable polymer product.