Egg shell particles as bioceramics in sustainable bioplastic engineering - ESP-BIOPACK
Plastics make our lives easier in many ways. However, if they are not disposed of properly, they end up in the environment.
Recently, biodegradable biopolymers, such as polylactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), have emerged as alternatives for applications such as sustainable packaging. The main limitations of these biopolymers are high cost, due to the high cost of starting materials and small volumes, and poor thermal and mechanical properties, such as limited processability and low impact resistance. Attempts to modify PHAs have been explored in many ways, such as blending different biodegradable polymers or mixing inorganic mineral fillers. Eggshell (10 million tons per year by 2030) is a natural bio-ceramic mineral with a unique chemical composition of calcium carbonate (>95% calcite). Until now, it has been considered a zero value waste product, but it could be a great opportunity as a feedstock to reduce the cost of biopolymers and improve properties, including the end-of-life decomposition process.
In this project, we aim to develop eggshell particles that serve as bio-fill in biopolymers to reduce product cost, improve mechanical properties and facilitate validation of end-of-life pathways.