From cellulose to cement: developing sustainable routes to bio-based construction materials

We will use hemp-based plants products as a carbon source to feed to microbes. They will convert this material to lactic acid (LA). The LA will be extracted and used in polymerisation reactions using both chemical catalysts and biocatalysts. The polylactic acid (PLA) will be isolated and characterised. The PLA will be provided to our industry partner IndiNature to add to their building materials. The properties of these final products will be tested. As well as the technical side, a circular economy analysis and a life cycle analysis (LCA) of the process will also be carried out.