The development of innovative wheat straw-reinforced composite material based on hybrid polymer matrix with functional bioadditives from lignocellulosic by-products for packaging applications

According to the EU directives, the development of environmentally friendly packaging from biodegradable and recycled materials is among the nine priority directions of the innovation. Unfortunately, the usage of plastics as packaging maintains its position in the future. Thus, the main task to minimize the negative effect of plastic packaging on the environment is the creation of plastic composite packaging with the maximal content of biodegradable ingredients. The project’s aim is to design a novel innovative environmentally friendly composite material consisting of a recycled polypropylene/polylactic acid polymer matrix, filled with modified wheat straw, and functional bio-based additives, obtained from wood residues by their biorefinery, and to optimize processing technology of the developed composite for the fabrication of bulk food storage containers and packaging. The blend of recycled polypropylene with polylactic acid as a polymer matrix, the modified wheat straw as a filler, valorized soda lignin and extracted suberinic acids as the functional additives for the design of the novel composite packaging will be studied. The non-waste valorization technology of lignin for obtaining an effective compatibilizer as well as a choice of the optimal conditions for extraction of suberinic acids with the defined chemical composition and plasticizing properties for their usage as a lubricant will be developed.

Budget: 295 014,00 EUR

Call, activity: Latvijas Zinātnes Padomes Fundamentālo un lietišķo pētījumu projektu 2023. gada konkurss (LZP FLPP 2023/1)

Implementation of the project

01.01.2024. - The implementation of the project has been started