| NSF Org: |
TI Translational Impacts |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | January 5, 2022 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | January 5, 2022 |
| Award Number: | 2201638 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Ruth Shuman
rshuman@nsf.gov (703)292-2160 TI Translational Impacts TIP Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships |
| Start Date: | January 15, 2022 |
| End Date: | June 30, 2024 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $50,000.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $50,000.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
118 COLLEGE DRIVE HATTIESBURG MS US 39406-0001 (601)266-4119 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
2609 WEST 4TH ST Hattiesburg MS US 39401-5876 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | I-Corps |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.041, 47.084 |
ABSTRACT
The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a practical and generalizable technology for manufacturing carbon products from polyolefins and their waste. While polyolefins represent the most widely produced and used category of polymers, they also contribute to the majority of plastic waste that imposes serious risks to the sustainable development of the environment and society. Current waste management strategies associated with polyolefins include landfilling, incineration, and conversion to products with less value. This project will focus on commercializing a simple, scalable process to provide an efficient solution for plastic upcycling. The associated technology may significantly increase the value of polyolefin waste through converting them to functional carbon products. These carbons may be used as additives for conventional plastic manufacturing as property modifiers and enhancers. In addition, remediating plastic pollution represents a strong societal demand, exemplified by explosive growth in the corresponding recycling industry. Also, this project provides great opportunities to stimulate plastic recycling and upcycling infrastructure in the surrounding regions, promoting local economic development of the corresponding industries.
This I-Corps project is based on the development of a platform for upcycling polyolefin-derived plastic waste into functional, value-added carbon materials. The core technology in this project combines an acid-enhanced crosslinking chemistry with optimized reaction conditions to thermally stabilize polyolefin materials, enabling them to become efficient carbon precursors with at least 65% yield after high temperature pyrolysis under nitrogen atmosphere. This process is cost-effective and potentially may be scaled to produce carbons with high degree of graphitization, high porosity, and heteroatom-doped framework. Moreover, the simplicity of this process allows for efficient transformation towards industrially relevant scales through careful system design. Building upon the understanding of the fundamental relationship between processing conditions and resulting material properties, this technology also enables easy control over thermal and electrical conductivity, adsorption performance, and mechanical properties of resulting carbon additives by manipulating processing conditions. Successful commercialization and timely distribution of this technology would lead to an economically feasible solution to address at least millions of tons of plastic waste, which directly tackles one of the most pressing environmental and societal challenges.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Plastic waste management and decarbonization are two of the most urgent challenges facing modern industry, requiring innovative solutions that address both environmental sustainability and economic viability. To tackle these challenges, our team has developed a pioneering technology that transforms plastic waste into structured carbon Joule heaters through 3D printing and pyrolysis, enabling decarbonized chemical production. This dual-purpose approach not only repurposes plastic waste but also significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions, offering a powerful solution in the fight against climate change.
As part of the NSF I-Corps program, our team conducted over 220 customer discovery interviews to thoroughly evaluate the needs and commercial potential of our technology within the realms of industrial decarbonization and plastic waste management. We actively engaged with industry at major conferences, including three Society of Plastic Engineers (SPE) events, the Composites and Advanced Materials Expo, multiple plastic waste-focused industrial conferences, and clean energy production-focused meetings. Additionally, we held over 25 in-person meetings with major corporations and startups that could serve as potential customers or buyers of our technology. Through these interactions, we identified a strong and urgent demand for technologies capable of simultaneously managing waste and reducing carbon footprints. Our discussions revealed that while current methods of plastic waste management and decarbonization can be effective, they often fall short of providing a comprehensive solution that addresses both challenges together. Particularly, economic viability and quantifiable environmental impacts are crucial factors in driving inclusive and accessible technology innovations.
Our participation in the I-Corps program has been instrumental in advancing our technology toward commercialization. We successfully identified key customer needs and pivoted our approach to address the most pressing market demands. The entrepreneurial and technical leads of our project co-founded a startup company to commercialize the technology. This effort has already attracted significant attention from state agencies and investors. As part of our commercialization efforts, the team has also participated in state-level entrepreneurship programs and delivered multiple successful pitches. This project has the potential to revolutionize the repurposing of plastic waste and make a substantial impact on industrial decarbonization efforts. Moving forward, we are confident that our technology will have a positive global environmental impact. The team is currently focused on scaling up the technology, optimizing processes, and forming strategic partnerships within the ecosystem.
Last Modified: 08/27/2024
Modified by: Zhe Qiang
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