Substitute for Plastics: Conversion of Agricultural Biomass Residues to Molded Pulp Products (MPP)

该项目旨在开发一种新的农业生物质转化工艺，如剩余纤维 从大麻生产的秸秆，成一个有用的纤维素原料包装制成的纸浆模塑 产品.更具体地说，拟议项目的目标是研究生物化学反应， 农业残留物（例如大麻生物质和玉米秸秆）与真菌酶的混合物， 用于将农业残余生物质转化为生产 生产纸浆模塑制品的优质原料。来自大麻茎的生物质是一种很好的 纤维素纤维的替代来源，可用于生产纸浆模塑产品。主要 挑战是开发合适的去纤化技术，以从生物质中以 合理的成本，而不使用会导致环境问题的苛刻的化学方法。 该项目的方法将基于两步酶预处理工艺， 机械精炼将进行实验室研究，以了解生物质如何与酶反应， 在各种条件下的处理以及酶预处理如何影响随后的机械性能 磨浆工艺和所得纸浆纤维的质量。根据实验室研究的结果， 将在与商业生产相当的更大规模下进行，以优化工艺条件。 拟议项目的最终成果将是一种生产纸浆模塑产品的新工艺， 由于提高了质量和降低了生产成本，在市场上更具竞争力。此外，本发明还 取代目前使用的一些塑料包装产品将具有环境优势， 市场。

This project aims to develop a novel process for converting agricultural biomass, such as the leftover fiber stalks from cannabis production, into a useful cellulose raw material for packaging made from molded pulp products. More specifically, the objectives of the proposed project are to investigate the biochemical reactions of agricultural residues (e.g. cannabis biomass and corn stover) with fungal enzymes and to develop eco-friendly biomechanical defibrillation processes for converting agricultural residual biomass to produce quality raw materials for production of molded pulp products. The biomass from cannabis stalks is a good alternative source of cellulose fibers that can be used for production of molded pulp products. The main challenge is developing a suitable defibrillation technology to produce quality fibers from the biomass at a reasonable cost without using harsh chemical methods that would cause environmental problems. The approach for this project will be based on a two-step enzymatic pretreatment process followed by mechanical refining. Laboratory studies will be carried out to understand how the biomass reacts to enzymatic treatment under various conditions and how the enzymatic pretreatment effects the subsequent mechanical refining process and the quality of resultant pulp fibers. Based on the results from the laboratory studies, trials will be performed to optimize the process conditions at larger scales comparable to commercial production. The ultimate outcome of the proposed project will be a novel process for producing molded pulp products that are more competitive in the market due to improved qualities and decreased production cost. Additionally, there will be environmental advantages in replacing some of the plastic packaging products that are currently in the marketplace.