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SUSTAINABLE PLASTICS: DESIGNING AND DEMONSTRATING RENEWABLE, BIODEGRADABLE PRODUCTS MADE OF SOY PROTEIN-BASED PLASTICS
Impact/Purpose:
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 p
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
Description:
We have found that soy protein plastics have flow properties that are comparable to fossil fuel-based plastics. Soy plastics are processed at much lower temperatures, however, yielding energy savings over synthetic plastics during processing. These comparable flow properties make soy protein plastics a viable drop-in replacement for synthetic resins; no new capital investments by plastics manufacturers are required to utilize soy protein plastics in their products.
Five formulations of soy protein plastics were screened for viscosity and mechanical properties. The different formulations tested the effects of various ratios of soy protein to cornstarch, the addition of sodium sulfite and the addition of a titanate coupling agent. The material with the titanate coupling agent and a low soy protein to cornstarch ratio performed best in terms of high strength, high stiffness and high elongation at break. All formulations of soy protein plastic were sensitive to humidity and water – a boon to biodegradability and flushability of disposable items.