SBIR Phase I: Biobased and Biodegradable Superabsorbent Polymers

小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的更广泛影响和商业潜力是为尿布和失禁产品开发一种新的环保可持续材料。在美国，2500万成年人患有尿失禁，产生了多达150万公斤的问题材料作为垃圾填埋场。拟议的材料将使用廉价的可再生原材料制造，改善管理这种状况的环境影响，并使其用户能够获得高质量的生活。这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目建议开发一种新的高吸水性聚合物(SAP)。在第一阶段的研究中，该项目将确定基于聚合物结构、电荷密度和凝胶分数的SAP的设计参数，该SAP满足负载下吸光度(AUL)、离心机保留能力(CRC)和吸收动力学的规范。该项目将在模拟堆肥条件下验证其安全性和生物降解性。最后，该项目将探索规模化制造的协议。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact and commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to develop a new environmentally sustainable material for diapers and incontinence products. In the US, 25 million adults suffer from urinary incontinence, generating up to 1.5 million kilograms of problematic material for landfills. The proposed material will be manufactured using cheap, and renewable raw materials, improving the environmental impact of managing this condition and enabling high quality of life for its users. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project proposes to develop a new superabsorbent polymer (SAP). In the first phase of research, this project will identify design parameters based on polymer architecture, charge density, and gel fraction for a SAP that meets specifications regarding absorbency under load (AUL), centrifuge retention capacity (CRC), and kinetics of absorption. The project will validate the safety and biodegradability in simulated composting conditions. Finally, the project will explore protocols for manufacturing at scale.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.