SBIR Phase I: A home-compostable replacement to petroleum-based flexible packaging derived from seaweed

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一种新型的熔融可加工颗粒，该颗粒利用来自不同海藻材料的藻胶体制成。今天，商业塑料包装工业依赖于石油衍生物的聚合，然后在转化为成品之前进行复合或熔融加工。消费者对塑料垃圾的强烈反对，国内和国际法规，以及对减少对石油依赖的日益关注，推动了对可降解包装解决方案的需求，这些解决方案可以服务于可生物降解包装市场，到2030年，可生物降解包装市场将增长到8120亿美元。通过使用海藻作为替代原料，该团队的目标是消除对更多环境密集型投入的需求，包括石油和其他陆地作物。此外，这种材料技术的设计是为了与现有的塑料制造基础设施兼容，从而简化了规模和成本竞争力的道路。该项目的预期结果是开发第一种商业上可行的聚合物材料，主要来自海藻，这种材料是熔融加工和可堆肥的。这一突破将开启一种可再生塑料替代品，满足成本、可扩展性和环境影响的基本要求。这个项目的智力价值集中在开发一种可行的途径，用于从海藻中制造可熔化加工的颗粒。目标是使这些颗粒的转换使用传统机械生产柔性薄膜包装。实现成功商业化需要克服的主要技术挑战是，海藻材料不像传统聚合物那样在合适的加工温度下熔化。因此，所得材料不具备软包装所需的必要机械性能。为了应对这一挑战，该团队将探索用选定的商业可堆肥聚合物回火海藻化学和相关材料。这种方法的目的是在确保家庭可堆肥性的同时，达到与传统薄膜包装相当的断裂应变、拉伸强度和刚度。虽然以前的研究和应用已经探索了将海藻用于经济上不太可行的薄膜技术，但这一努力的独特贡献在于将不同的海藻化学物质结合起来，并将其作为可熔化处理的海藻材料实施。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is the development of a new type of melt-processable pellet made utilizing phycocolloids derived from different seaweed materials. Today, the commercial plastic packaging industry is reliant on the polymerization of petroleum derivatives, which are then compounded or melt-processed before being converted into finished goods. Mounting consumer backlash against plastic waste, domestic and international regulations, and an increased focus on curtailing dependence on petroleum are driving the demand for compostable packaging solutions that can service the biodegradable packaging market which is set to grow to $812 billion by 2030. By using seaweed as an alternative feedstock, the team's goal is to eliminate the need for more environmentally intensive inputs including petroleum as well as other terrestrial crops. Furthermore, this material technology is being designed for compatibility with existing plastic manufacturing infrastructure – thereby streamlining a path to scale and cost competitiveness. The anticipated outcome of this project is the development of the first commercially viable polymeric material predominantly derived from seaweed, that is melt-processed and compostable. This breakthrough will unlock a renewable plastic replacement that meets essential requirements for cost, scalability, and environmental impact. The intellectual merit of this project focuses on the development of a viable pathway for creating melt-processable pellets from seaweed. The goal is to enable the conversion of these pellets using conventional machinery to produce flexible film packaging. The main technical challenge to overcome in achieving successful commercialization is that seaweed materials do not melt at suitable processing temperatures, as do traditional polymers. Consequently, the resulting material does not possess the necessary mechanical properties required for flexible packaging. To address this challenge, the team will explore the tempering of seaweed chemistry and associated materials with selected commercial compostable polymers. This approach aims to achieve comparable strain at break, tensile strength, and stiffness to conventional thin film packaging while ensuring home compostability. While previous research and applications have explored the use of seaweed for less economically viable film technologies, the unique contribution of this effort lies in combining varying seaweed chemistries and implementing them as a melt-processable seaweed material.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.