STTR Phase I: Designing and Engineering Thermoplastic Starch BioFoam Materials for Protective Packaging Applications

Smart MeritKTM Industries与密歇根州立大学合作，计划为防护包装市场设计和设计可生物降解的淀粉基生物泡沫材料。这些新型的生物基泡沫材料有望取代目前在这些应用中使用的石油基聚乙烯、聚苯乙烯和聚氨酯材料。KTM Industries与国家淀粉、专业包装集团LP及其客户，即丰田、沃尔沃合作，试销了几种淀粉泡沫材料，并将其商业化，用于有限的应用。然而，其极端的湿气敏感性、较差的表面性能和强度阻碍了其在更广泛的应用中的使用。KTM/MSU将与其工业合作伙伴一起设计、制造和测试新型的化学改性塑料淀粉生物泡沫，其防潮性、强度、表面均匀度和制造容易程度高于目前的水平。这对在更广泛的应用中获得市场对生物基泡沫缓冲技术的接受具有重大好处。更广泛的ImpactKTM的Green Cell产品是北美唯一商业化的生物泡沫。它是完全可生物降解的，温室气体中性，在精选的聚乙烯包装应用中具有很好的竞争力。然而，市场反馈表明，更广泛地接受淀粉生物泡沫需要KTM克服当前的水分敏感性、脆性、强度和表面特性问题以及可制造性挑战。KTM相信，通过开发具有增强的防潮性、柔韧性、良好强度、表面一致性和可制造性特征的热塑性淀粉生物泡沫，淀粉生物泡沫最终可以渗透并占领26亿美元的泡沫包装市场的很大一部分。实现与合成的石油基树脂的性能相当，这些树脂是由国内种植的玉米制造的，并且是可生物降解的，这将大大加快许多行业和客户群体对包装生物泡沫的接受。事实上，KTM认为，这项研究最终可能导致多达10%的市场份额被取代。这将创造就业机会，并使公司更好地为日益增长的客户群服务，这些客户群要求公司减少对环境的负面影响，减少碳足迹。此外，这项研究所隐含的技术进步将大大加快更广泛的商业成功的生物塑料产品的开发。

Intellectual MeritKTM Industries in cooperation with Michigan State University plans to design and engineer biodegradable starch based biofoam materials for the protective packaging market. These new, biobased foam materials are expected to displace petro-based polyethylene, polystyrene, and polyurethane materials used currently in these applications. KTM Industries, working with National Starch, Specialized Packaging Group LP, and its customers, namely Toyota, Volvo, have test marketed and commercialized several starch foam materials for limited applications. However, its extreme moisture sensitivity, poor surface properties, and strength have precluded its use in broader applications. KTM/MSU with its industrial collaborators will design, manufacture and test new chemically modified plastic starch biofoams with superior moisture resistance, strength, surface uniformity, and ease of fabrication than is currently achieved. This has the major benefit for gaining market acceptance of bio-based foam cushioning technology across a wider range of applications. Broader ImpactKTM's Green Cell product is the only commercially available bio-foam in North America. It is completely biodegradable, greenhouse gas neutral, and competes well in selected polyethylene packaging applications. Market feedback, however, has shown that broader acceptance of starch biofoams requires KTM to overcome current moisture sensitivity, brittleness, strength, and surface property issues as well as manufacturability challenges. By developing a thermoplastic starch biofoam that has the enhanced moisture resistance, flexibility, good strength, surface uniformity, and manufacturability characteristics that industry needs, KTM believes starch biofoams can finally penetrate and capture a large portion of the $2.6 billion foam packaging market. Achieving performance parity with synthetic, petroleum-based resins, being manufactured from domestically grown corn, and being biodegradable will greatly accelerate the acceptance of packaging biofoams for many industries and customer groups. Indeed, KTM believes the research could ultimately result in displacement of as much as 10% of the market. This would create jobs, and position companies to better serve a growing customer base that demands companies reduce their negative environmental impacts and reduce their carbon footprint. Furthermore, the technical advancements implied in this research will significantly accelerate the development of a broader range of commercially successful bio-plastic products.