Location: Sustainable Biofuels and Co-products Research
Project Number: 8072-30600-006-000-D
Project Type: In-House Appropriated
Start Date: Jul 8, 2025
End Date: Jul 7, 2030
Objective:
Objective 1: Develop chemical technologies to enhance the functionalities of fatty acid based antimicrobial biopolymers for coatings.
Objective 2: Develop biobased lubricant base oils and antimicrobial triesters from waste lipids (fats and oil) via chemical modification.
Objective 3: Develop chemical technologies to produce high value functional biopolymers from lignocellulosics and food processing waste.
Objective 4: Formulate biobased materials for asphalt binder and electric vehicle (EV) fluid applications.
Approach:
This project plan aims to address two major challenges concerning the U.S. bioeconomy: minimizing food waste and developing new agriculturally derived bioproducts. These materials are produced and accumulated in large quantities, and improper disposal can result in a range of issues, including toxins, bacterial contamination, and disease. Although this is a global concern, the industry continues to underutilize agricultural residues and food wastes as feedstocks for bioproduct development. Recent studies indicate that feedstock cost is the most critical factor in determining the overall production cost of bioproducts and thus plays a key role in their economic viability. To address this, our approach leverages agricultural and food processing waste to produce bioproducts that are both economically and environmentally sustainable. Specifically, the four Objectives involve the use of advanced technologies to convert lipid and carbohydrate waste into functional, biodegradable, and cost-effective bioproducts. The lipid-based bioproducts developed in Objectives 1 and 2 will serve as antimicrobial coatings to enhance product surfaces, biolubricants for machinery fluids, and antimicrobial ingredients for personal care products. The carbohydrate-based bioproducts in Objective 3 will be formulated as emulsifiers and antimicrobial biopolymer films. Objective 4 will focus on formulating bioproducts for use in applications such as asphalt binders, electric vehicle fluids, and greases. The successful completion of this project will deliver both economic and environmental benefits by reducing agricultural farm and food waste while replacing petrochemical-based materials. The outcome will contribute to a more sustainable, cleaner, and healthier environment.