Advanced Manufacturing for Sustainable Biodegradable Microbeads - BIOBEADS

在BIOBEADS项目中，我们建议联合开发新的制造路线来生产新产品。制造将基于一种低能耗的工艺，可以很容易地放大或缩小，产品将是可生物降解的微珠、微囊和微海绵，它们具有现有塑料微球产品的性能特征，但不会留下持久的环境痕迹。使用生物材料，如纤维素(来自植物)和甲壳素(来自蟹壳或虾壳)，我们将使用连续制造方法来生成微球、中空胶囊和多孔颗粒，以取代目前在许多应用中使用的塑料微珠。纤维素和甲壳素是可生物降解的，也是许多海洋生物饮食的一部分，这意味着它们有直接的自然分解途径，不会在环境中积累。BIOBEADS将采用膜乳化技术生产。该项目以我们在膜乳化方面的联合专业知识为基础，以连续生产可调液滴尺寸、纤维素和甲壳素在绿色溶剂中的溶解以及纳米和微观结构的表征为基础，研究颗粒形成的方方面面，从前体到形成过程，再到降解途径。我们将主要关注化妆品和个人护理配方中使用的微球和胶囊，但通过了解这些微球的形成过程和机理，我们的目标是能够量身定制粒子特性，以适应从油漆剥离到可生物降解塑料中的填充物的更大规模的应用。BIOBEADS研究团队将与行业合作伙伴，包括非常大的个人护理产品制造商合作，确保所进行的研究能够被接受和使用，从而对更可持续的新产品的制造产生真正积极的影响。

In project BIOBEADS we propose to develop, in combination, new manufacturing routes to new products. Manufacturing will be based on a low-energy process that can be readily scaled up, or down, and the products will be biodegradable microbeads, microscapsules and microsponges, which share the performance characteristics of existing plastic microsphere products, but which will leave no lasting environmental trace. Using bio-based materials such as cellulose (from plants) and chitin (from crab or prawn shells), we will use continuous manufacturing methods to generate microspheres, hollow capsules and porous particles to replace the plastic microbeads currently in use in many applications. Cellulose and chitin are biodegradable and also part of the diet of many marine organisms, meaning they have straightforward natural breakdown routes and will not accumulate in the environment. BIOBEADS will be produced using membrane emulsification techniques. The project builds on our joint expertise in membrane emulsification for continuous production of tunable droplet sizes, dissolution of cellulose and chitin in green solvents and in characterization of nanoscale and microscale structures to study all aspects of particle formation from precursors, through formation processes, to degradation routes. Yhe primary focus will be spheres and capsules, for use in cosmetics and personal care formulations, but, by understanding the processes and mechanisms of formation of these spheres, we aim to be able to tailor particle properties to suit larger scale applications from paint stripping, to fillers in biodegradable plastics.The BIOBEADS research team will work with industrial partners, including very large manufacturers of personal care products, to ensure that the research conducted can be taken up and used, so having a real, positive impact on the manufacturing of new, more sustainble products.