New Polymer Materials from Biomass Micro-algae

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The use of renewable raw materials is becoming widespread in plastics, especially in packaging and textiles. The latest trends clearly show that under the legislative pressure to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, plastics users are developing new bio-based materials with high-performance properties. However, the development of such biopolymers is still lagging behind in Europe, especially in the cross-border region. This research project contributes to regional economic development through technological innovation, with the goal of developing high performance and competitive bio-plastics, through sustainable production methods from both an economic and environmental point of view. Another crucial challenge is to avoid entering into competition with the food industry, through the use of renewable resources of vegetable origin. The ALPO project aims to specifically develop new building bricks (monomers, functional additives, etc.) and corresponding bio-plastics, using micro-algae, a renewable and non-food raw material, through an interdisciplinary academic and institutional partnership. The new grades of bio-plastics, polyesters and multifunctional coatings could find strong development prospects in sectors of industrial activity present in the cross-border region.

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