The Technology Strategy Board, has awarded a grant to a consortium led by Biome Technologies, to investigate a bio-based alternative to the oil-dervied organic chemicals currently used. Although bioplastics are based on natural materials, some oil-based chemicals are widely used in their manufacture to convey properties including mechanical strength, tear resistance and durability.
A possible alternative is lignin, the complex hydrocarbon that helps to provide structural support in plants. As a waste product of the pulp and paper industry, lignin is a potentially abundant feedstock that could provide the foundation for a new generation of bioplastics.
Biome Technologies’s Biome Bioplstics division will carry out the research in conjunction with the University of Warwick’s Centre for Biotechnology and Biorefining. They will look at developing methods to control the lignin breakdown process to determine whether these chemicals can be extracted in significant quantities.
“The environmental and social concerns surrounding the use of fossil fuels and food crops make lignin a compelling target as a source of chemicals,” said Professor Tim Bugg, director of University of Warwick’s Centre for Biotechnology. “Often considered a waste product, it may provide a sustainable source of building blocks for aromatic chemicals that can be used in bioplastics.”
