text: Sustainable Plastics: Designing and Demonstrating Renewable, Biodegradable Products Made of Soy Protein-based Plastics | Research Project Database | Grantee Research Project | ORD | US EPA
  Sustainable Plastics: Designing and Demonstrating Renewable, Biodegradable Products Made of Soy Protein-based Plastics
  EPA Grant Number: SU833514
  Title: Sustainable Plastics: Designing and Demonstrating Renewable, Biodegradable Products Made of Soy Protein-based Plastics
  Investigators: Osswald, Tim , Dudley, Brandon , Eisenhardt, Scott , Ralston, Brian
  Current Investigators: Osswald, Tim , Day, Travis , Knauf, Stefanie , Ralston, Brian
  Challenge Area: Materials and Chemicals
  In this project we plan to design and fabricate practical parts from renewable, biodegradable soy protein-based plastic. Plastics made from soybean protein offer a sustainable alternative to conventional fossil fuel-based plastics. Soy protein plastics are domestically grown, renewable and biodegradable, avoiding the pitfalls of landfills, incineration and fossil fuel dependence. Soy protein plastics can be processed on conventional plastic processing equipment, but the properties and processing of these plastics must be improved for broad commercial viability.
  Potential applications for soy protein plastics include biodegradable containers, food service utensils, golf tees, outdoor sporting articles, trays, bottles, tampon applicators, protective tubes for nursery trees, dishware, flatware, packaging, loose fills, agricultural films and garden cell packs. To date, no known commercial products have been made with soy protein plastic.
  Many of these shaped parts can be fabricated through extrusion of tubular profiles or thermoforming of extruded sheets. Specifically, tampon applicators and nursery tree tubes will be extruded, while containers, trays, dishware and garden cell packs will be thermoformed. The challenge is to screen several formulations of soy protein plastics, then produce properly shaped final products using extrusion and thermoforming.
  The team will screen several formulations of soy protein plastic for processability and viscosity, mechanical properties, water resistance and biodegradation. Standard ASTM test methods will be used in data collection. Performance of different formulations will be assessed with statistical analyses. Viscosity data will be used in designing a die through which to extrude tubular profiles for tampon applicator and nursery tree tube production. Using molds we will design and build, extruded sheets of soy protein plastic will be vacuum thermoformed into usable plastic articles.
  The PI and his student team will display, publicize and distribute sample soy protein plastic parts at conferences, in courses and even at a summer engineering camp, thereby bringing the possibilities of this new material to the attention of the general public.
  Biopolymer,, RFA, Scientific Discipline, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, Sustainable Industry/Business, Environmental Chemistry, Sustainable Environment, Technology for Sustainable Environment, Chemistry and Materials Science, Chemicals Management, biodegradable plastics, alternative materials, soy protein-based plastics, biodegradable materials, thermoplastics, plastics manufacturing, pollution prevention, green chemistry