Plastics from Sugars: The preparation, processing and properties of compostable polymers from lignocellulosic biomass.
Lead Research Organisation:
Imperial College London
Department Name: Chemistry
Abstract
The 'plastic age' dominates to such an extent that it would be difficult to imagine life without them. Their manufacture is a growth industry with worldwide production exceeding 150 million tons per year. The most commonly used feedstocks are fossil fuels, with around 7% of worldwide oil and gas being consumed in plastics manufacture. Such resources, although technically renewable, are estimated to be depleted in the next hundred years. Aside from the problems with petrochemicals sustainability and supply, they are becoming increasingly costly. The disposal of waste plastics is also of concern as the majority go into landfill (where they are bulky and pervasive); the recycling of commodity plastics has also recently suffered an economic collapse. There is a clear need for home-compostable plastics which derive from renewable (but inexpensive) resources for commodity applications (packaging). Such materials are also of great interest for medical applications, provided they degrade to metabolites. The proposal focuses on the polymerisation of carbohydrates, derived from lignocellulosic biomass, to give highly functionalized and rapidly degradable plastics. Lignocellulosic biomass derives primarily from non-food crops such as fast growing trees (e.g. poplar or willow) or from grasses (e.g. switch grass). This proposal will use lignocellulosic biomass (i.e. it will not rely on crops such as corn or sugar beet) as the feedstock for plastics production. This is important because it will not deprive poorer communities of essential food crops. Specifically, the feedstocks will be D-glucose, a carbohydrate derived from both cellulose and hemicelluloses, which in turn constitute 55-85% of the plant mass. Such carbohydrates are highly attractive feedstocks for chemicals production as they are abundant, inexpensive and highly functionalised. They are also cost competitive with common petrochemicals and solvents. The plastics prepared in the proposal are 100% degradable and compostable, ultimately they are broken down in soil or in the body to give naturally occurring by-products. The new materials are targeted for use in a variety of applications, including being used in compostable packaging, in particular they will facilitate the disposal and home-composting profile of currently commercial degradable plastics. Furthermore, the degradation of the new materials will be exploited for specialized medical applications. Specifically, we will study the use of the polymers as scaffolds in tissue rengeration; the key advantage of the new materials are the unusual physical properties they display and the ability to fully degrade them in the body. The proposal will involve overcoming key technical barriers to the widespread production and use of the new materials. The new technologies to be developed include developing the preparation, properties, degradation profile and end uses/applications of the materials. The proposal involves collaborations between four academic groups across various discplines (Chemistry, Materials, BioEngineering and Biology at Imperial College London and in Chemistry at Nottingham University) and with two companies (Uhde Inventa Fischer and Bioceramic therapeutics).
Publications
Lee K
(2012)
Carbohydrate derived copoly(lactide) as the compatibilizer for bacterial cellulose reinforced polylactide nanocomposites
in Composites Science and Technology
Montrikittiphant T
(2014)
Bacterial cellulose nanopaper as reinforcement for polylactide composites: renewable thermoplastic NanoPaPreg.
in Macromolecular rapid communications
Tang M
(2013)
Porous Copolymers of e-Caprolactone as Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering
in Macromolecules
Tang M
(2010)
Tailoring Polylactide Degradation: Copolymerization of a Carbohydrate Lactone and S , S -Lactide
in Macromolecules
Description | Compostable Plastics |
Amount | £25,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Imperial Innovations |
Sector | Private |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2012 |
End | 06/2012 |
Description | Compostable Plastics |
Amount | £25,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Imperial Innovations |
Sector | Private |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 04/2012 |
End | 07/2012 |
Description | EPSRC |
Amount | £115,000 (GBP) |
Funding ID | Knowledge Transfer Secondment Scheme (KTS) |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 08/2010 |
End | 09/2011 |
Description | collaboration with CSIRO, Melbourne |
Organisation | Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation |
Country | Australia |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Sponsorship of a PHD studentship working on new biobased materials |
Collaborator Contribution | see above: |
Impact | PHD student recruited (Dom Myers) and completed year 1 of study |
Start Year | 2013 |
Title | BIMETALLIC CATALYTIC COMPLEXES FOR THE COPOLYMERISATION OF CARBON DIOXIDE AND AN EPOXIDE |
Description | The present invention provides a novel catalyst of formula (I): wherein M is selected from Zn(H), Co(II), Mn(II), Mg(II), Fe(II), Cr(III)-X or Fe(III)- X, and the use thereof in polymerising carbon dioxide and an epoxide. |
IP Reference | WO2009130470 |
Protection | Patent granted |
Year Protection Granted | 2009 |
Licensed | Yes |
Impact | commercially sensitive but patent has been used to help form a spin-out company: econic technologies |
Title | CARBOHYDRATE LACTONE POLYMERS |
Description | The present invention relates to a novel carbohydrate lactone, functionalized aliphatic polyesters and copolymers formed therefrom, and processes for the preparation thereof from renewable resources. |
IP Reference | WO2009118538 |
Protection | Patent granted |
Year Protection Granted | 2009 |
Licensed | No |
Impact | FOLLOW ON FUNDING RECIEVED, LICENSE NEGOTIATIONS IN PROGRESS |
Title | METHOD OF SYNTHESISING POLYCARBONATES IN THE PRESENCE OF A BIMETALLIC CATALYST AND A CHAIN TRANSFER AGENT |
Description | The invention provides a process for the synthesis of a polycarbonate, the process comprising the step of reacting carbon dioxide with at least one epoxide in the presence of a catalyst of formula (I) and a chain transfer agent. The invention also provides a polymerisation system for the copolymerisation of carbon dioxide and at least one epoxide comprising a catalyst of formula (I) and a chain transfer agent, polycarbonates produced by the inventive process, a block copolymer comprising a polycarbonate produced by the inventive process and a method of producing the same. The invention also relates to novel catalysts of formula (III). |
IP Reference | WO2013034750 |
Protection | Patent application published |
Year Protection Granted | 2013 |
Licensed | Yes |
Impact | COMMERCIALLY SENSITIVE INFORMATION BUT LICENSED TO ECONIC TECHNOLOGIES |
Description | Demonstration Lecture at Lowther School Summer Fair - It's all about science |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Lecture given at the summer fair of a local primary school - lots of enthusiasm from parents and children see above |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | Invited and keynote lecture at 21 st Bioenvironmental Polymer Society Conference (Warwick) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
Results and Impact | Discussions with academics and industrialists New collaboration formed with Michael Meier which resulted in a research exchange of Dr Mathias Winkler to Imperial College in 2014 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
URL | http://www.beps.org/warwick.html |
Description | Lecture at the graduate school professional skills course for Imperial College London and MIT PG students |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Discussions about an academic career and about entrepreneurship see above |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | Outreach lecture at primary school |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Lecture with demonstrations to primary school children - KS 1 Children very much enjoyed the visit and expressed an enthusiasm to study science |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |