SBIR Phase II: Scale Up and Commercialization of Lignin-Based Biodegradable and Compostable Plastics for Horticultural and Agricultural Applications

SBIR第二阶段项目的更广泛影响是开发低成本，可生物降解的生物聚合物，以取代不可降解的一次性塑料，以减少塑料废物。 目前，大多数塑料制品都是由不可再生资源制成的，本质上是不可降解的。在农业和园艺领域，需要低成本、可生物降解和可堆肥的塑料来支持食品和其他农产品的生产。更广泛地说，在其他行业，如消费品包装和食品服务包装，对可生物降解和可堆肥产品的需求不断增长。拟议的研究将证明由木质素制成的生物聚合物的规模扩大和商业可行性，木质素是造纸和生物燃料工业的主要废物。这些生物聚合物将具有与商业塑料相当的机械性能;它们将在2年内在土壤中生物降解，在工业堆肥条件下在6个月内生物降解。在该项目结束时，将确定并优化多个等级的生物聚合物的应用，例如温室的苗圃容器或农民的农业地膜。该项目的范围还将包括探索新型制造工艺，以解决农业和园艺以外的产品应用。拟议的SBIR第二期项目将推进一个新的可生物降解塑料材料家族的开发，该家族使用木质素（造纸和生物燃料行业的有机废物）作为一种关键的低成本投入材料，作为共聚物处理，而不是增强填料，例如炭黑。拟议的研究将证明一种新型反应挤出技术的规模扩大和商业可行性，该技术能够使用无溶剂反应加工生产木质素含量至少为50%的可生物降解和可堆肥热塑性塑料。聚合物合金的机械性能将与低密度聚乙烯和聚丙烯等商品聚合物相当，在土壤中可在2年内生物降解，在高温堆肥条件下可在6个月内生物降解。这些材料将使用双螺杆挤出机进行商业规模生产验证，转化为塑料制造中使用的原材料原料，包括长丝，粒料和片材，然后用标准设备转化为产品，如农业容器，花卉，该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

This broader impact of this SBIR Phase II project is to develop low-cost, biodegradable biopolymers to replace non-degradable, single-use plastics to reduce plastic waste. Currently, most plastic products are made from non-renewable resources and are not degradable in nature. In agriculture and horticulture, there is a need for low-cost, biodegradable and compostable plastics to support the production of food and other agricultural products. More broadly, in other industries, like consumer packaged goods and food-service packaging, there is a growing demand for biodegradable and compostable products. The proposed research will demonstrate scale-up and commercial viability for biopolymers made from lignin, the primary waste product of the paper and biofuel industries. These biopolymers will have mechanical properties comparable to commercial plastics; they will be biodegradable in soil in under 2 years and in industrial composting conditions in under 6 months. At the end of this project, multiple grades of biopolymers will be identified and optimized for applications, such as nursery containers for greenhouses or agricultural mulch film for farmers. The scope of this project will also include the exploration of novel manufacturing processes that will address product applications beyond agriculture and horticulture.The proposed SBIR Phase II project will advance the development of a new family of biodegradable plastic materials using lignin, an organic waste product from the paper and biofuel industries, as a key low-cost input material treated as a copolymer, rather than a reinforcing filler, such as carbon black. The proposed research will demonstrate scale-up and commercial viability of a novel reactive extrusion technology, capable of producing biodegradable and compostable thermoplastics with lignin contents of at least 50 weight percent, using solvent-free reactive processing. The polymer alloys will have mechanical properties comparable to commodity polymers, such as low-density polyethylene and polypropylene, and biodegradable in soil in under 2 years and thermophilic composting conditions in under 6 months. These materials will be validated for commercial scale production using twin-screw extruders, converted to raw material feedstocks used in plastics manufacturing including filament, pellets, and sheet, and then converted with standard equipment into products such as containers for agriculture, floral, and forestry plant production.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.