The Bio-Polymer Processing Facility converts fats and vegetable oils into plastics. The facility allows Iowa State University engineers to research and develop their process for producing biopolymers. It also “de-risks” technologies for companies that could be interested in producing tons of biopolymers each year. The facility can make about 1,000 pounds of biopolymers per day, and will be used for evaluation in several different industries including asphalt paving, adhesives, coatings and packing materials.

Accomplishments

• A $5.3 million facility was built at the BioCentury Research Farm by industry partner Argo Genesis Chemical LLC.
• Commissioned the Bio-Polymer Processing Facility.
• Produced asphalt binder for accelerated testing at the National Center for Asphalt Technology.

Future Work

• Manufacture adhesives from co-products of the biofuels industry.
• Scale up unique biobased monomers and polymers.

Download the Bio-Polymer Processing Facility factsheet (PDF)

Principal Investigators

• Eric Cochran, Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering