Making a more cost effective biopolymer from lignocellulose pulp

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Globally, the supply chain for plastics is looking at the strategic replacement of fossil-fuel based materials, which up to now have made possible many of society's advancements related to health, safety, mobility, and general wellness. With shrinking oil reserves and increasing volatility in raw component pricing, economic and resource security for Canada along with society's continued advancement demands that companies pivot to more sustainable feedstocks, like cellulosic-based materials. Transitioning from fossil-fuel based (synthetic) plastics to sustainable bioplastics has been slow, complicated by poorer performance of the many replacement chemistries proposed based on botanical sources (eg. starch). These plastics tend to exhibit weak properties and get worse in the presence of moisture. Most companies and governments understand that the first successful sustainable materials (like PLA) only address challenges related to the 'cradle' (i.e. production) and still have problems to solve with their end-of-life ('grave') where the method of disposal matters. Researchers at McMaster University have created a very strong bioplastic based on substantial chemical modification of lignocellulose, the unrefined pulp waste of the forestry industry. Its creation has attracted an interested industrial partner who holds an option to commercialize the technology for high-end uses, like consumer electronics. Its production is based on a novel chemistry and novel processing method, both which need further R&D to realize a competitive bioplastic and transferrable process setup for ready use by the industrial partner. Over the course of a year, this I2I grant is meant to accelerate the development activities related to the process, to translate McMaster's intellectual property from a proof-of-concept to a commercially viable resin. Success for the proposed project will include a less costly but similarly performing catalyst to prepare the bioplastic, and improvements to its moisture absorption capacity. The benefits to Canada from these successes will include a boost to our technology economy with the successful launch of the industrial partner, value-added use of Canada's renewable resources from the forestry sector, and a new bioplastic for high-end uses.