Objective
Worldwide, the problems associated with the production of large amounts of waste are recognised as some of the most serious to be faced currently. For example, 41% of 30.4 million tonne pa of plastics used in the EU are used for packaging, more than 75% en ds up in landfill. In the case of plastic waste the preferred solution, up to now, is recycling. Nevertheless, degradable materials can play an important role to reduce these waste disposal problems. Biodegradable polymers, such as poly(lactic acid), not a ble to replace environmentally unfriendly packaging because their physical properties are representative of brittle materials. The work contained in this programme is designed to address this problem by producing plasticizers, that are also biodegradable, that can be blended with PLA and extruded to produce flexible films. A recent project supported by the EU under the CRAFT programme have shown that such plasticizers can be engineered from block copolymers of poly(ethylene glycol), a flexible block, and po ly(lactic acid), compatible with the base polymer.The main objective of this project is to continue the exploitation of our new method developed to replace the tin catalyst for the synthesis of poly(lactic acid) homopolymer and poly(lactic acid)-co-poly(et hylene glycol) (PLA-PEG) copolymers using a non toxic potassium based catalyst.The new catalyst system will also be used for the synthesis of other aliphatic polyesters such as poly(caprolactone), poly(glycolic acid) and their different copolymers.Using th is safe catalyst system, the obtained polymers can be directed towards different applications:- As modifiers for PLA to enhance its physical properties for production of environment-friendly packaging such as films, bottles, trays etc. - The combination of their biodegradability and biocompatibility, the produced hompolymers and copolymers can be as biomaterials for different biomedical applications.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology industrial biotechnology biomaterials bioplastics polylactic acid
- natural sciences chemical sciences organic chemistry organic acids
- engineering and technology materials engineering amorphous solids
- natural sciences chemical sciences organic chemistry aliphatic compounds
- engineering and technology environmental engineering waste management waste treatment processes
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP6-2002-MOBILITY-5
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
BIRMINGHAM
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.