SBIR-STTR Award

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will use metal catalyzed copolymerization with highly reactive epoxides to generate polycarbonates using carbon dioxide as a feedstock. The new, patent-pending catalyst system is extremely efficient, polymerizing epoxides and CO2 under mild reaction conditions without producing common by-products. Furthermore, the polymerization can be controlled such that polycarbonates with a variety of physical and mechanical properties are synthesized. The initial goals of this research proposal will be to determine the commercial viability of this system. The development of sustainable technologies will provide a platform from which U.S. manufacturers can be competitive globally. This technology platform will create value added products that command a premium price and carry an enhanced profit margin. The use of biorenewable resources, including waste products and CO2 as opposed to petroleum feedstocks, will diminish the negative impact of manufacturers on the environment and preserve resources for economically more meaningful applications. The resulting materials have potential utility in electronics assembly, food packaging, lost foam metal casting, ceramics, energy storage (rechargeable batteries and fuel cells), pyrotechnics and polyurethane foams.

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project aims to commercialize a new class of biodegradable plastics from carbon dioxide and epoxides. The technology is based on an innovative catalyst system that significantly increases process efficiency and reduces cost. A novel approach for catalytic polymerization will be developed by directly incorporating carbon dioxide into the polymer, which will transform this greenhouse gas into a synthetic building block of a polycarbonate plastic material, with widespread industrial applications.

The project will demonstrate an alternative use of a significant greenhouse gas as an alternative feedstock for the plastic industry, which has the potential for greatly reducing the Nation's dependence on petroleum-based raw materials. In addition, the polycarbonate materials synthesized using the novel process will beneficially impact a number of industries, such as specialty adhesives, investment casting, ceramic binders and biomedical applications