Bioplastic polymers based on aromatic dicarboxylic acids derived from lignin

The environmental and social concerns surrounding the use of fossil fuels and food crops make lignin a compelling target as a source of chemicals. Considered of low commercial value, lignin is one of the few potential natural sources of aromatic chemicals. This project targets the useful aromatic building blocks for platform chemicals within lignin that can be substituted in plastics' intermediates. This project builds on a Technical Feasibility project undertaken by Biome Bioplastics and the University of Warwick, and seeks to demonstrate that metabolites extracted previously at laboratory scale can be produced in a commercially viable manner through the selective disintegration of lignin using bacteria and/or enzymes in fed batch/continuous reactors of scale. Larger trials will be undertaken at CPI and the resultant demonstration quantities of chemicals will be converted into novel materials, for evaluation in a high value market.