Increasing the Biodegradability and Environmental Compatibility of Plastic Materials

提高塑料材料的生物降解性和环境兼容性

• 批准号: 570430-2021
• 负责人: Derksen, DarrenDJD
• 金额: $ 21.86万
• 依托单位: University of Calgary
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Alliance Grants
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=747368
• 关键词: Increasing; Biodegradability; Environmental; Compatibility; Plastic

The proposed network of researchers is composed of 3 academics from the University of Calgary who have all of the necessary expertise in chemical synthesis of ligands, organometallic complexes, C-H functionalization, and biodegradation. With the support NOVA Chemicals, a major polyethylene manufacturer with multiple sites located in Canada, this network of researchers will work to address two of the environmental challenges with the use of plastic materials. By integrating this major commercial partner into the team, NOVA Chemicals is uniquely positioned to integrate new discoveries into practice. The goals of this partnership are to address two of the challenges in reducing the environmental impact of plastic materials: 1) we will work to develop novel co-catalysts required for polymerization that do not contain fluorinated hydrocarbons, and 2) we will develop catalytic methods required to create the technology allowing the oxidation and microbial degradation of plastic waste. The potential outcomes of this work are the development of organofluorine-free materials that align with strict requirements frequently classified as polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS). In addition to establishing a process for reducing the amount of plastic waste going to landfills, developing functionalization and degradation processes on polyethylene would also be a significant step toward reusing these materials as feedstocks and recycled into other useful chemical intermediates. The potential impact of this proposed research is to provide the benefits of low-cost, light weight plastic materials while continuing to increase the biodegradability and environmental compatibility of polyethylene materials. Frequently referred to as the "circular economy" of plastics, this proposal will help move the polyethylene industry toward removing potentially harmful fluorinated materials from the environment and recycling/degrading waste into value-added materials.

拟议的研究人员网络由来自卡尔加里大学的 3 名学者组成，他们在配体化学合成、有机金属配合物、C-H 官能化和生物降解方面拥有所有必要的专业知识。在 NOVA Chemicals（一家在加拿大设有多个工厂的主要聚乙烯制造商）的支持下，该研究人员网络将致力于解决塑料材料使用带来的两项环境挑战。通过将这一主要商业合作伙伴纳入团队，NOVA Chemicals 处于将新发现融入实践的独特地位。此次合作的目标是解决减少塑料材料对环境影响的两个挑战：1）我们将致力于开发不含氟化烃的聚合所需的新型助催化剂，2）我们将开发催化方法需要创建允许塑料废物氧化和微生物降解的技术。这项工作的潜在成果是开发符合通常被归类为多氟烷基物质 (PFAS) 的严格要求的无有机氟材料。除了建立减少进入垃圾填埋场的塑料废物量的工艺之外，开发聚乙烯的功能化和降解工艺也将是朝着将这些材料重新用作原料并回收成其他有用的化学中间体迈出的重要一步。这项拟议研究的潜在影响是提供低成本、轻质塑料材料的优点，同时继续提高聚乙烯材料的生物降解性和环境相容性。该提案通常被称为塑料的“循环经济”，将有助于推动聚乙烯行业从环境中去除潜在有害的氟化材料，并将废物回收/降解为增值材料。