SBIR-STTR Award

Agro-Plastics, Inc. has successfully developed and is commercializing a process that uses agricultural fibers as fillers in virgin plastics. The Agro-Plastic manufacturing plants are designed for small communities, providing employment and non-farm revenues at a time when small rural communities are struggling with depressed crop prices and loss of manufacturing jobs. As a natural extension of this work, Agro-Plastics, Inc. is proposing to modify its existing process for use with waste (co-mingled) plastic. This will create additional income streams for rural areas, while reducing currently high waste disposal costs. To successfully construct this research, Agro-Plastics has teamed with USDA's Forest Products Laboratory, AJ Engineering Company, and Kansas State University. The research will demonstrate the feasibility of using agricultural fillers to add strength to co-mingled plastic and determine which plastic waste streams can be used. The project will focus on: improved binding of the co-mingled plastic with the agricultural fillers; improved strength of the co-mingled plastic; reduced cost of the agro-plastic; impact on rural communities; and a market analysis of end uses. ANTICIPATED RESULTS & POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS OF RESEARCH This project will yield the following

Benefits:
new cash crop for the producers by selling wheat straw or other agricultural residue ($60 per ton); recycling option for the community's plastic; high paying plastic's manufacturing jobs (approximately 25 - 30 per plant); and increased tax base.

The goal of this Phase II SBIR is to commercialize the process to use wheat straw fibers as a means to improve the characteristics of commingled plastic. The Phase I research proved the feasibility of using wheat straw as a filler for commingled plastic. However, in order to commercialize the process, hurdles still need to be overcome in order to have a In order to reach this goal the following objectives have been developed: Improve the mechanical properties of the commingled plastic so it can be automatically fed into the twin-screw extruder. Optimize the chemical additives to improve the binding of the commingled plastic with each other and with the agricultural fillers. Determine methods, such as low-temperature compounding, which can be used in the extruder to both ensure good melt of the plastics but reduce fiber degradation. Look at the long-term weatherability of the plastics to determine their outdoor applications. Work with manufacturers to test the product and incorporate their comments back into the research plan.