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

SBIR 第一阶段：开发用于卫生产品的可生物降解热熔压敏粘合剂

• 批准号: 2125908
• 负责人: Kathleen Bailey
• 金额: $ 25.6万
• 依托单位: SHERO LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-12-01 至 2023-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2125908&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Development; Biodegradable; Hot

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.

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被市政设施回收或堆肥，因为用于构建和定位月经垫的可生物降解热熔粘合剂存在问题。生物降解可能是减少与之相关的环境影响的最佳方法，特别是在城市固体废物处理设施不发达的地区。 最终，无毒、安全、有效的一次性月经垫可以改善经期妇女的生活质量和环境，并为美国和全球的生产商提供新的商业机会。该项目解决了合成经期垫的技术挑战。可生物降解的热塑性塑料和生物添加剂的组合，将产生压敏粘合剂（PSA）。这种PSA必须在商业热胶应用机械以及预期产品中表现良好，在使用六个月内完全安全地降解，并且在规模化商业上可行。生物基粘合剂尚未满足这些参数。研究方法如下：首先，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）开发和合成压敏胶，以提高压敏胶的性能。其次，根据既定的使用和制造要求表征 PSA，并优化成分以确保满足要求。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。 识别生物降解过程中形成的中间化学分子和结构，确定它们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压敏胶，满足月经垫的制造和性能标准，并表明压敏胶在非特殊环境条件下可以在不到六个月的时间内完全生物降解，无需机械化学或光降解过程。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审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。