I-Corps: Sustainable biocomposite materials for use in consumer and industrial applications

California Institute Of Technology, Pasadena CA

Investigators

Abstract

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of sustainable biomaterials made from algae and agricultural waste. The proposed process is designed to create a class of biomaterials from low-cost waste byproducts of other industrial waste streams with properties that exceed current bio-based materials, and are similar to those of commercial particleboard and softwoods. The proposed technology may be used to produce stiff biodegradable composite materials. Unlike traditional petroleum-based polymeric materials, the proposed biomaterials are based on algae, which sequester carbon from the atmosphere during growth. Current active research using wastewater algae facilitates a circular economy by enabling the combination of two biowaste streams, base substrate algae and bio-waste reinforcements and fillers, resulting in materials that are both easily recycled and biodegradable. The goal is to reach a completely circular process by using algae that are a byproduct of municipal wastewater purification systems. End use applications for this technology platform include building and construction materials, furniture, insulation, and packaging. This I-Corps project is based on the development of biocomposites made from algae and agricultural waste. The proposed technology is a molding process that uses porous aluminum oxide molds to produce stiff biodegradable composite materials. Unlike traditional petroleum-based polymeric materials, the algae raw material sequesters carbon from the atmosphere during growth, with 1.6 to 2 grams of CO2 captured for every gram of algal biomass produced. At end-of-use, the material naturally decomposes without specialized recycling treatments, and may be crushed, rehydrated, and remolded for reuse. In addition, other environmental benefits of the biomaterial over traditional polymeric materials include lower energy use in fabrication, ability to use the full algae cell in production, and compatibility with multiple types of biowaste fillers and reinforcements. These biobased and biodegradable materials support sustainability and carbon reduction goals. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.