SBIR Phase I: The Development of Biodegradable Hot Melt Pressure Sensitive Adhesives for Use in Hygiene Products

SBIR第一阶段项目的更广泛影响是开发完全可生物降解的一次性个人护理产品，特别是月经垫。一般来说，月经垫在使用后不能回收或由市政设施堆肥，因为用于构造和定位它们的可生物降解热熔粘合剂的问题。生物降解可能是减少与之相关的环境影响的最佳途径，特别是在城市固体废物设施不发达的地区。 最终，无毒，安全和有效的一次性月经垫可以改善生活质量的妇女和环境，并提供了一个新的商业机会，在美国和世界各地的生产商地球仪。拟议的项目解决了技术挑战，合成一个组合的可生物降解的热塑性塑料和生物添加剂，将产生一个压敏粘合剂（PSA）。这种PSA必须在商业热胶应用机器以及预期产品中表现良好，在使用后六个月内完全安全地降解，并且在规模上具有商业可行性。生物基粘合剂尚未满足这些参数。研究方法如下：首先，开发和合成PSA使用生物基聚合物和生物基可生物降解添加剂，包括增塑剂，增粘剂和增容剂，以提高PSA的性能。其次，根据既定的使用和制造要求表征PSA，并优化组成以确保满足要求。第三，测试PSA组合物的降解，包括在垃圾填埋场、土壤和水条件（包括海洋环境）下完全生物降解所需的时间长度。 确定生物降解过程中形成的中间化学分子和结构，确定其对环境和生物有机体健康的潜在危害。 该项目将开发一种可生物降解的PSA，该PSA将满足月经垫的制造和性能标准，并表明PSA可以在非专业环境条件下在不到六个月的时间内完全生物降解，该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响进行评估，被认为值得支持审查标准。

The broader impact of this SBIR Phase I project is in development of fully-biodegradable disposable personal care products, particularly menstrual pads. In general, menstrual pads cannot be recycled or be composted by municipal facilities after use because of issues with the biodegradable hot-melt adhesives to construct and position them. Biodegradation may be the best way to reduce the environmental impact associated with them, particularly in geographies where municipal solid waste facilities are underdeveloped. Ultimately, non-toxic, safe and effective disposable menstrual pads could improve quality of life for menstruating women and the environment, and provide a new commercial opportunity for producers in the US and around the globe.The proposed project addresses the technical challenge of synthesizing a combination of biodegradable thermoplastics and biological additives that will create a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA). This PSA must performs well in commercial hot glue application machinery as well as in the intended products, completely and safely degrade within six months of use, and is commercially viable at scale. These parameters have yet to be met by biological-based adhesives. The research approach is as follows: First, develop and synthesize PSAs using a biological base polymer and biological-based biodegradable additives, including plasticizers, tackifiers, and compatibilizers to enhance the performance of the PSAs. Second, characterize PSAs based on established use and manufacturing requirements and optimize the composition to ensure the requirements are met. Third, test PSA compositions for degradation, including length of time required for complete biodegradation under landfill, soil, and water conditions, including marine environments. Identify intermediate chemical molecules and structures that form as a result of the biodegradation process, determine their potential hazards on both the environment and the health of biological organisms. This project will develop a biodegradable PSA that will meet manufacturing and performance standards in menstrual pads and show that the PSA can be fully biodegradable in less than six months under non-specialized environmental conditions, without the need of mechanochemical or photo degradation processes.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.