FARGO, N.D. - In the first half of this year, North Dakota State University joined and then gained the leadership for a multi-university research project of bioplastics and biocomposites, funded by the National Science Foundation Center.
The Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites, branded as CB2, was started by David Grewell at Iowa State University about six years ago, added Washington State University and now NDSU and University of Georgia.
Grewell in August 2018 started as chairman of NDSU's Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering. Dean Webster, chairman of NDSU's Department of Polymers and Coatings, serves as the site director at NDSU. The National Science Foundation Center contributed $150,000 and is expected to receive the same amount in 2020.
One objective for CB2 aims is to reduce the amount of waste products society puts into the environment by creating alternatives made of biomaterials, collaborating with industry partners. Projects are designed to be for multiple companies, not just specific companies.
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The manufacturer will use crop byproducts, crop waste, or crops that are in large supply.
Grewell says some of the feedstocks for products under development come from plants or woody feedstocks. Projects are voted on by 29 member-companies that help fund research. Large companies - ADM, 3M, Ford, John Deere and BASF, to name a few - pay a $30,000 annual fee while smaller entities, including the North Dakota Corn Utilization Council, pay a $15,000 fee.
Pots, car parts
Sponsors meet twice a year, in May to discuss their priorities and in November to vote on a range of National Science Foundation projects that might fit with their own goals, such as increasing the value of corn.
CB2 developed fully biobased pots for plants made from corn and soybean components. They look like traditional plastic pots, they are fully biodegradable so they not only help reduce waste but also help provide soy protein nutrients to feed the plants as they grow. The pots are water-tight, but begin to break down when placed in the soil. The pots have a side benefit of stopping the "root circling" phenomenon, which makes the bedding plants produce more roots and more fruit. The pots were commercialized four years ago and are available on Amazon and at Wal-Mart stores.
Another product involves lightweight composite materials supported by Ford and Huyundai, to create lighter-weight composite materials for heating and air conditioning components. Diageo, a tequila producer, provides agave fibers, a byproduct of tequila production that otherwise must be burned or sent to the landfill, Grewell says.
CB2 scientists are working on eight projects, including finding a replacement for ABS, a petrochemical plastic for high-temperature applications including "under-the-hood" automobile uses.
"We'd like to have one that's based on bio-based feedstock," Grewell says.
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Some projects involve the "welding" or sealing, of plastics. About half of the projects focus on biodegradability.
Most of the projects are measured both for environmental and economic soundness.
