SBIR Phase I: Development of lignin-based biodegradable plastic alloys via solvent free reactive extrusion

SBIR 第一阶段：通过无溶剂反应挤出开发木质素基可生物降解塑料合金

• 批准号: 1747887
• 负责人: Tony Bova
• 金额: $ 22.5万
• 依托单位: MOBIUS PBC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2018-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1747887&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Development; lignin; based

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will demonstrate the ability to create a new family of biobased and biodegradable polymers produced from agricultural and forestry waste streams that have the potential to mitigate landfill-bound, single-use plastics prevalent in agricultural operations. In conventional agricultural operations, farmers use plastic mulch films to block weeds and retain moisture in the soil, ultimately increasing crop yields. Unfortunately, the non-degradable plastics that are used must be removed after harvest and sent to a landfill as they are not recyclable due to contamination by soil and pesticides, leading to significant labor and disposal costs and increasing environmental burden. In this project, lignin polymer alloys are investigated as an innovative biodegradable plastic platform which can be used as an alternative to conventional materials that are not recyclable. Agriculture films represent a global market of $2.5 billion. Other attractive market opportunities include agricultural containers ($5 billion), garbage bags ($10 billion), and packaging ($115 billion). Lignin as a renewable feedstock is an excellent candidate for low cost, biodegradable plastics. Successful demonstration of commercial-scale uses for lignin is vital for the emerging biorefinery industry, and a primary task to secure the energy and materials future for the US.The intellectual merit of this project addresses the need for low-cost, biobased plastics to replace petroleum derived materials, while ensuring a closed-loop lifecycle that does not generate financial and environmental burden due to waste accumulation. To date, lignin-based polymers have been prohibitively expensive due to the need for extensive solvent-based modification and separations processes. The objective of this research project is to demonstrate the production of lignin-polymer alloys with: 1) unmodified lignin contents of 50% or higher through solvent-free, high shear melt processing; 2) enhanced interfacial surface area for material durability; 3) mechanical properties near or exceeding that of low-density polyethylene; and 4) biodegradability under both ambient soil and thermophilic composting conditions. The expected technical results will be production of at least 1 optimal formulation meeting the above conditions identified as suitable for use in agricultural mulch film applications. If all 4 of these are achieved, further research in a subsequent Phase II award will allow for demonstration of scaled manufacturing of this new family of sustainable biomaterials and has the potential to lead to some of the first commercially viable lignin-based plastics in the US for use in agricultural plastic applications and beyond.

这个小型企业创新研究阶段I项目将证明能够创建一个由农业和林业废物流生产的新型生物基和可生物降解的聚合物，这些垃圾流有可能减轻垃圾填埋场，一次​​性塑料在农业运营中普遍存在。在传统的农业行动中，农民使用塑料覆盖膜来阻止杂草并保留土壤中的水分，最终增加农作物的产量。不幸的是，收获后必须去除使用的不可降解的塑料，并将其发送到垃圾填埋场，因为它们由于土壤和农药的污染而无法回收，导致劳动力和处置成本巨大，并增加了环境负担。在该项目中，木质素聚合物合金被研究为一种创新的可生物降解塑料平台，可用作不可回收的常规材料的替代品。农业电影代表了25亿美元的全球市场。其他有吸引力的市场机会包括农业集装箱（50亿美元），垃圾袋（100亿美元）和包装（1150亿美元）。木质素作为可再生原料是低成本，可生物降解的塑料的绝佳候选者。成功地展示木质素商业尺度用途对于新兴的生物融资行业至关重要，也是确保美国能源和材料未来的主要任务。该项目的智力优点是针对低成本的塑料的需求，以替换石油派生的材料，同时确保封闭型生命周期的财务和环境堆积的堆积型，以确保造成的材料。迄今为止，由于需要广泛的基于溶剂的修饰和分离过程，因此基于木质素的聚合物非常昂贵。该研究项目的目的是通过以下方式证明木质素 - 聚合物合金的产生：1）通过无溶剂，高剪切融化的加工，未修饰的木质素含量为50％或更高； 2）增强的界面表面积，以实现耐久性； 3）机械性能附近或超过低密度聚乙烯的机械性能； 4）在环境土壤和嗜热堆肥条件下的生物降解性。预期的技术结果将是至少生产1个最佳配方，满足上述条件，该条件适用于用于农业覆盖膜应用。如果实现了所有这些，那么在随后的II期奖励中进行进一步的研究将允许展示这一新的可持续生物材料家族的规模生产，并有可能导致美国一些基于木质素的塑料，用于农业塑料塑料应用以及超越。