The biopolymer market has been expanding rapidly, but many
biopolymer technologies rely on petroleum or conventionally derived agricultural
feedstocks. In the coming decades, materials made from renewable sources are
expected to gradually replace non-renewable petrochemical-based industrial
materials, including polymers. The production of plastics from renewable
biopolymers will offer several advantages over conventional petroleum-based
plastic production. These advantages include having reliable (domestic)
suppliers, sustainable production, lower greenhouse gas emissions, competitive
pricing, and increased number of jobs in rural communities.
Researchers from Arizona State University have recently
developed a new technology to produce biopolymers from autotrophic cyanobacteria
that optimizes the production of biopolymer during the life-cycle of the
organism. This technology uses CO2 from the environment, and unlike plant based
biopolymer technologies, the production is compact and versatile, and does not
compete with foodstocks. The researchers have found the technology can be used
to produce a variety of high-value biopolymers, including Cyanophycin,
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) and Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate).
Potential Applications
This technology can be used in a variety of industries
including
- Polymer feedstock - Biopolymers/Bioplastics Industry -
Will provide biodegradable raw materials to a variety of other industries
- Medical Industry – Medical devices requiring
biodegradable plastics including sutures, bone plates, surgical mesh, pins,
stents, etc.
- Pharmaceutical Industry –Drug delivery
devices
Benefits and Advantages
- Green – Sustainable. Removes CO2 from environment,
replaces non renewable petroleum based plastics, biodegradable. Low reliance
on petroleum for production. This technology is less dependant on petroleum
than any other bioplastic production method. Biopolymers can serve as raw
materials in a wide variety of applications.
- Tunable and resilient production – The production of
bioplastics can be tuned to give the best economies of production and scale
- Compact production – Current technologies require vast
quantities of farmland to produce feedstocks. Cyanobacterial aquaculture has
low space and energy requirements and does not compete with food production.
- Cost Effective – Requires less energy and raw material
input than other methods based on fermentation.
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For more information about the inventor(s) and their
research, please see
Dr.
Vermaas' departmental webpage
Dr. Vermaas' research webpage
