Combining Enzymatic Epoxidation of Soybean Oil and Linseed Oil

Lead organization: Agri-Tech Producers (ATP) 

Project partners: University of Akron School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering 

Year launched: 2021 

This project will explore combining a safer, bio-based alternative to carbon black filler powder with polymers made by the enzymatic epoxidation of a soybean oil and linseed oil-based bio-resin, in order to create thermoset hybrid bio-composites.  

This work will use a novel filler powder made from carbonized bio-crops, which, using ATP's patented Combined Remediation Biomass and Bio-Product Production (CRBBP) Process, have captured large amounts of atmospheric CO2. When combined with an epoxidized norbornane soybean and linseed oil, as part of polymer matrix composites (PMCs), this product will have competitive advantage over conventional structural materials like steel, titanium alloys, and aluminum alloys.   

Using ATP's CRBBP Process filler powders – made from bio-crops which have absorbed nearly four times the amount of CO2, per acre, as trees – furthers ATP's cost-reducing, multi-tasking goal of capturing large amounts of CO2, providing other environmental services, and then sequestering the captured carbon in a variety of circular economy bio-products.  

Epoxidized PMCs give relative ease of processing, coupled with a significant weight-saving opportunity for companies making composites in the aerospace, automotive, wind turbine, and sports and recreation industries. The epoxidized PMCs are chosen for their high strength, resistance to chemicals and solvents, high-temperature workability, and overall durability. This blending of bio-based components mitigates the negative environmental and health impacts of carbon black filler powder and also helps pave the way for manufacturing lightweight composites. The results of this project could contribute to a techno-commercial analysis of the CRBBP Process's bio-product production system, in comparison to conventional petroleum-based composites. 

Funding source: BioMADE Project Call 1.0