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The environmental toll of oil-based plastics has spurred the search for sustainable alternatives. One promising solution is the utilization of biobased degradable plastics, such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA). Polyhydroxyalkanoates are a family of bacteria-made polyesters with versatile properties and high biodegradability. However, production of PHA is still too expensive compared to conventional polymers, hindering the use at commercial level in a wider range of applications. The separation of PHA from the bacterial biomass through a solvent extraction is currently one of the main reasons for high costs.
In 2022, Avans UAS, together with Paques Biomaterials, Ecoras and Maan Group have executed an exploratory study on a Kiem GoChem project to look into the possibilities to directly process PHA-rich biomass into biocomposites without first extracting PHA. The results showed that it is possible to process the PHA-rich biomass. This can be done with pure PHA-rich biomass or with blends with other polymers, resulting in a material with thermoplastic behaviour. This opens opportunities for all kinds of commercially interesting applications. In the PHAst Thermoplast project these options will be further investigated with a consortium consisting of research institutes (Avans, Zuyd, Hanze), PHA producers (Paques Biomaterials, Mango Materials), biopolymer processing companies (RB Biobased Institute, ColorFabb), companies that look into applications for PHA (Craze, Ecoras, NPSP), and the Dutch rubber and plastic industry federation NRK.
The main goal of PHAst Thermoplast is to improve the processability and the technical properties of PHA-rich biomass composites in order to create added value biodegradable products with an industrial potential. For that, different material blends will be tested and applied in injection moulding and 3D-printing. A thorough investigation will be conducted to assess potential marketable product applications for the developed materials. This will be strengthened by an assessment of end-of-life options for the material.