NewPack, EU Horizon 2020, 2018-2021
Development of new Competitive and Sustainable Bio-Based Plastics
The objective of NEWPACK is to validate in industrial setting the production of at least two new bio-plastics based on PHB- PLA blends with improved sustainability performance, obtained by the addition of natural extracts with antioxidant/antibacterial properties and nanoadditives from cellulose and chitin. A new circular economy value chain will be generated from agro-food wastes that will be exploited for the production of PHB, while designing and validating the process up to pilot scale. Blending of PLA and PHB will be validated at pilot scale to achieve specific final product requirements based on targeted products. The NEWPACK consortium has 13 partners with academic research organizations and small and large industries which cover the whole innovation, production and final use value chain.
Within the project, LTU will be responsible for analyzing and optimizing processing variables to obtain highest yield and best quality of chitin nanowhiskers. The extraction process of the chitin nanowhiskers will be carried out at lab scale (50-250 g) and will help to BBEPP for upscaling the process by using optimized conditions. The group is also participant in the incorporation of the nanowhiskers to PLA-PHB blends and PLA during extrusion to produce bio-based nanocomposites.
Updated: