Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BIOMAT (An Open Innovation Test Bed for Nano-Enabled Bio-Based PUR Foams and Composites)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2021-01-01 al 2022-06-30
Polyurethane (PUR) products, which include foams for building, construction, automotive and furniture and bedding, are petroleum-based and usually lack important properties. The need for sustainability in these industries leads to the development of cost-efficient processes and sustainable added-value products from low carbon footprint materials. The main objective of BIOMAT is to establish an Open Innovation Test Bed (TB) for the benefit of industries and SMEs, aiming to facilitate the cross-border partnership and accelerate innovation in nano-enabled bio-based insulation materials for these industries. Through the creation of a Single-Entry Point (SEP), SMEs and other industrial parties will have open access, at a competitive price, to physical facilities (pilot production lines) and services (characterisation, nanosafety, standardisation/regulation, business/marketing plans as well as technological and business-oriented mentoring)
Overall objectives of the project:
THE BIOMAT-TB and the SEP
O1 Establishment of the BIOMAT-TB and SEP
O2 Implementation of the Open Tender
BIOMAT-TB TECHNOLOGICAL ECOSYSTEM - TOWARDS CIRCULAR ECONOMY
O3 Development of Digital Twin Pilots (DTP) and inline monitoring
O4 Scale-up, production and characterisation of foams components - nano-enabled biomaterials
O5 Scale-up, production and characterisation of the nano-enabled bio-based foams
O6 The demonstrators - production and validation in environments
O7 Recycling technologies, nanosafety, standards and regulations for the developed materials recycled to functional oligomers/monomers, allowing re-use PUR production.
BIOMAT-TB ECOSYSTEM SUSTAINABILITY
O8 Environmental and economic sustainability:
O9 Dissemination, Exploitation and Communication
Overall objectives of the project:
THE BIOMAT-TB and the SEP
O1 Establishment of the BIOMAT-TB and SEP
O2 Implementation of the Open Tender
BIOMAT-TB TECHNOLOGICAL ECOSYSTEM - TOWARDS CIRCULAR ECONOMY
O3 Development of Digital Twin Pilots (DTP) and inline monitoring
O4 Scale-up, production and characterisation of foams components - nano-enabled biomaterials
O5 Scale-up, production and characterisation of the nano-enabled bio-based foams
O6 The demonstrators - production and validation in environments
O7 Recycling technologies, nanosafety, standards and regulations for the developed materials recycled to functional oligomers/monomers, allowing re-use PUR production.
BIOMAT-TB ECOSYSTEM SUSTAINABILITY
O8 Environmental and economic sustainability:
O9 Dissemination, Exploitation and Communication
The operational structure of the BIOMAT-TB and its SEP was established. The SEP is integrated in the already existing company structure of partner CTV thus benefiting from its previous framework and expertise in managing the provision of services and a large customer portfolio.
The Digital Twin Platform:
• Data sources and their nature (numeric, string, spectra…), required analyses and user roles have been evaluated.
• A methodology to design and control process with causality has been created to identify and quantify the parameters that influence quality
In line characterisation based on spectroscopy:
• In line characterisation by NIR and UV/V spectroscopy have been defined as per the pilots to be upscaled
• A methodology to design and control process with causality has been created. This will enable identification and quantification of the parameters that influence quality
Bio-PUR foams precursors:
Bio-polyols, environmentally friendly bio-resins, bio-(nano)fillers, low-cost bio-fillers, flame retardants, low- or zero-VOC catalysts, common and bio-based surfactants were identified and used for development and up-scaling up to 20 kg of (nano)filled polyol and resin formulations. The dispersions were characterized for particles size distribution and dispersions stability
Bio-PUR foams:
Soft Foams: A range of low-to-medium viscous prepolymers and adducts based on a bio-based isocyanate and various biopolyols was prepared to be used for soft foam formulations,
First upscaling to a larger laboratory scale was successfully performed for selected, most promising bio-based soft foam formulations.
Rigid foams: First developed rigid foams exhibit good mechanical properties i.e. compression resistance higher than 0.25 MPa and very low thermal conductivity (<0.03 W/mK) as well as bio-content higher than 50 % with close cell-morphologies.
Spray foams: Cup-test trials for selection of most suitable bio-based developed polyols, emulsifiers, catalysts, chain extenders, blowing agents, were performed.
Insulation aerogels: The optimal synthesis conditions of aerogels materials to improve their inherent properties were defined, Poly(urethane) aerogels panels with dimensions of 140 x 140 x 20 mm can be produced.
Promising results have been obtained for some enzymes on a small scale to recycle PUR foams.
Dissemination activities
• 9 participations in international and national conferences online and offline
• 273 posts in social media, twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook and website
• 5 workshop organizations. One workshop was organised at CNR, Naples dedicated to SMEs and industries as potential customer for the BIOMAT-TB Open Tender
• Project logo, brochure, flyer, roll-on and a video were developed
Exploitation
A preliminary market analysis was performed for the BIOMAT-TB and key market trends for the European polyurethane market by application have been identified. An analysis of supply chain relations between various chain entities resulted in identifying the levels of consumers and flow of money along the value chain.
Business and funding raise plans were developed together with Profit and Loss estimations.
The Digital Twin Platform:
• Data sources and their nature (numeric, string, spectra…), required analyses and user roles have been evaluated.
• A methodology to design and control process with causality has been created to identify and quantify the parameters that influence quality
In line characterisation based on spectroscopy:
• In line characterisation by NIR and UV/V spectroscopy have been defined as per the pilots to be upscaled
• A methodology to design and control process with causality has been created. This will enable identification and quantification of the parameters that influence quality
Bio-PUR foams precursors:
Bio-polyols, environmentally friendly bio-resins, bio-(nano)fillers, low-cost bio-fillers, flame retardants, low- or zero-VOC catalysts, common and bio-based surfactants were identified and used for development and up-scaling up to 20 kg of (nano)filled polyol and resin formulations. The dispersions were characterized for particles size distribution and dispersions stability
Bio-PUR foams:
Soft Foams: A range of low-to-medium viscous prepolymers and adducts based on a bio-based isocyanate and various biopolyols was prepared to be used for soft foam formulations,
First upscaling to a larger laboratory scale was successfully performed for selected, most promising bio-based soft foam formulations.
Rigid foams: First developed rigid foams exhibit good mechanical properties i.e. compression resistance higher than 0.25 MPa and very low thermal conductivity (<0.03 W/mK) as well as bio-content higher than 50 % with close cell-morphologies.
Spray foams: Cup-test trials for selection of most suitable bio-based developed polyols, emulsifiers, catalysts, chain extenders, blowing agents, were performed.
Insulation aerogels: The optimal synthesis conditions of aerogels materials to improve their inherent properties were defined, Poly(urethane) aerogels panels with dimensions of 140 x 140 x 20 mm can be produced.
Promising results have been obtained for some enzymes on a small scale to recycle PUR foams.
Dissemination activities
• 9 participations in international and national conferences online and offline
• 273 posts in social media, twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook and website
• 5 workshop organizations. One workshop was organised at CNR, Naples dedicated to SMEs and industries as potential customer for the BIOMAT-TB Open Tender
• Project logo, brochure, flyer, roll-on and a video were developed
Exploitation
A preliminary market analysis was performed for the BIOMAT-TB and key market trends for the European polyurethane market by application have been identified. An analysis of supply chain relations between various chain entities resulted in identifying the levels of consumers and flow of money along the value chain.
Business and funding raise plans were developed together with Profit and Loss estimations.
BIOMAT-TB will provide, through the SEP and at a fair price to its users, technologies transfer by the 12 established pilot lines for bioPUR foams and their components. The pilots will be accompanied by 8 services.
The 12 developed and tested pilots will be also assessed for safety LCA and LCC studies, covering the entire value chain of the biobased foams, starting from the bio-based nano components to the final different types of foams and panel composites.
BIOMAT will attract over 100 new stakeholders, with over 50% SMEs, to join the BIOMAT-TB ecosystem.
The number of SMEs within BIOMAT will increase by 5-10 % per year, through continued outreach activities and marketing plans.
The specific industrial process parameters of bio-NPs, bio-polyol formulations and bio- foams production will be improved by more than 20%.
Socio-economic impact
BIOMAT-TB will further spread novel technologies and green materials which will play an important role in spurring sustainable growth and boosting Europe’s competitiveness by re-industrializing and revitalizing rural areas. Therefore, BIOMAT-TB will provide thousands of high-skilled research, development and production jobs over the next decade.
The BIOMAT-TB, for the benefit of industries, SMEs and research institutes, will facilitate and accelerate the innovation in bio-nanotechnology-based products towards a sustainable European economy and environment. BIOMAT project provides multiple innovative outputs allowing for competitive advantage of Europe in the field of nano enabled biomaterials and the relevant components and products.
The SMEs operating in BIOMAT-TB sectors, will get access to infrastructure for technology transfer, validation, characterisation and all proposed services by the TB and will further incorporate innovation within their core business becoming more competitive.
The 12 developed and tested pilots will be also assessed for safety LCA and LCC studies, covering the entire value chain of the biobased foams, starting from the bio-based nano components to the final different types of foams and panel composites.
BIOMAT will attract over 100 new stakeholders, with over 50% SMEs, to join the BIOMAT-TB ecosystem.
The number of SMEs within BIOMAT will increase by 5-10 % per year, through continued outreach activities and marketing plans.
The specific industrial process parameters of bio-NPs, bio-polyol formulations and bio- foams production will be improved by more than 20%.
Socio-economic impact
BIOMAT-TB will further spread novel technologies and green materials which will play an important role in spurring sustainable growth and boosting Europe’s competitiveness by re-industrializing and revitalizing rural areas. Therefore, BIOMAT-TB will provide thousands of high-skilled research, development and production jobs over the next decade.
The BIOMAT-TB, for the benefit of industries, SMEs and research institutes, will facilitate and accelerate the innovation in bio-nanotechnology-based products towards a sustainable European economy and environment. BIOMAT project provides multiple innovative outputs allowing for competitive advantage of Europe in the field of nano enabled biomaterials and the relevant components and products.
The SMEs operating in BIOMAT-TB sectors, will get access to infrastructure for technology transfer, validation, characterisation and all proposed services by the TB and will further incorporate innovation within their core business becoming more competitive.