PHA: Fit For Purpose

Research project

Environment
Research Group Bioconversion & Fermentation Technology
Research Centre Biobased Economy

Start date 01 March 2023

In the transition from a linear to a circular economy, biodegradable plastics offer new perspectives. This sustainable alternative to normal plastics is promising, and traction for the application of this material is growing. To take biodegradable plastics to the next level, knowledge about application and up-scaling is vital. This project aims to gather knowledge about this subject.

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Polyhydroxyalkanoaten? What are those?

Polyhydroxyalkanoates, also known as PHAs, are polymers that are naturally produced by micro-organisms. These microorganisms, like bacteria, ferment sugars into PHAs. The bacteria store PHAs as a source of energy.

A lot of different types of PHA can be made, depending on the nutrition that the bacteria have access to, the kind of organism and further circumstances. At an industrial scale, sugar or plant-based oils are used food for the bacteria. A general rule of thumb is that one kilogram of PHAs can be made out of 3 kilograms of sugar. Aside from that, experiments with different food sources are being executed, like waste water.

PHAs fit into the transition towards a biobased economy since the material is biodegradable. The production of PHAs is a relatively new process, and research is still being done on application, production and up-scaling. This project contributes to this initiative.

Made possible by

In the search for renewable, non-fossil plastics, PHAs are a promising alternative. PHAs are produced by microorganisms from natural resources and waste, such as waste water. The fermentation process can be controlled, so that polymers with specific properties emerge. PHAs react well to alterations during production, however, there is not a lot of knowledge on this subject.

The penholder of this project is Paques Biomaterials. This company has developed an extraction method that can be used to create specific properties in the extracted polymers. This method is already successful at a small scale, but for most methods involving the polymers, more relevant knowledge and production is necessary.

This project will lead to more knowledge about the extraction phase of PHA production from bacterial cells. It also gathers more knowledge about creating specific properties in polymers at a large scale. This is important in order to make sure the process continually works well. All information that is gathered about the qualities and processing of polymers will be new. This gives involved partners a head start in their biobased development procedure.