Project Summary: Within Be-UP project new synthesis and processing routes will be developed for novel aliphatic-aromatic biopolyesters with increased renewable content using biobased building blocks (e.g 1,4 bio-BDO), alongside innovative catalysts and additives. These components will be optimized through advanced digital modelling tools, based on Kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) models, for synthesis and polymerization. These biopolyesters will be blended with commercial biopolymers (e.g., PLA, PBAT, and PHA), biobased chain extenders, and mineral fillers to create bioplastic packaging materials. The design of these blends will employ advanced compounding modelling tools, supported by techniques like screw design and inline rheology measurements, to achieve the target technical performance, sustainability and
biodegradation goals using multi-objective function evaluation. Processability will be also a key factor, with a focus on the primary production techniques used in the packaging industry, namely, blown film extrusion, injection moulding and thermoforming. A set of packaging products’ prototypes (TRL7) will be manufactured to validate the developed materials. The biodegradability of these novel products will be assessed in different End-of-life (EoL) scenarios, including open environments and controlled conditions, thus making possible to fill the gap between laboratory conditions and real end-of-life behaviour of these materials. Additionally, the recyclability of the new products will be evaluated. The data and conclusions of these assessments will be useful for: i) the development of guidelines and tools for circular design contributing to the adoption of the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) Framework; ii) contributing to
improve the standardization framework for testing and labelling of materials and packaging products. Be-UP is expected to replace more than 50,000 tonnes in 2032 of non-biodegradable plastics leading to savings of over 120,000 CO2 eq tonnes yearly.
Project number: 101178689
Project name: Boosting the Industrial Uptake of Biodegradable polymers for packaging applications by implementing digital tools and advanced techniques to achieve a holistic sustainability goal
Project acronym: Be-UP
Call: HORIZON-CL4-2024-RESILIENCE-01-TWO-STAGE
Topic: HORIZON-CL4-2024-RESILIENCE-01-35
Type of action: HORIZON Innovation Actions
Granting authority: European Health and Digital Executive Agency
Project duration: 48 months
Partners: ISOTECH LTD, INSTITUTO TECNOLOGICO DEL EMBALAJE, TRANSPORTE Y LOGISTICA, HYBRID CATALYSIS BV, PARTICULA GROUP DRUSTVO S OGRANICENOM ODGOVORNOSCU ZA ISTRAZIVANJE RAZVOJ I PROIZVODNJU, EUROPEAN BIOPLASTICS EV, Polinivo, IDENER RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT AGRUPACION DE INTERES ECONOMICO, NORMEC OWS, CEBIMAT LAB SL, INNOTECH COEXPAN-EMSUR SL, NOVAMONT SPA, POLYMERIS, IMERYS TALC EUROPE, FAKULTETA ZA TEHNOLOGIJO POLIMEROV, ASOCIACION ESPANOLA DE NORMALIZACION, Aptar France SAS, UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TRIESTE
Project Summary: Within Be-UP project new synthesis and processing routes will be developed for novel aliphatic-aromatic biopolyesters with increased renewable content using biobased building blocks (e.g 1,4 bio-BDO), alongside innovative catalysts and additives. These components will be optimized through advanced digital modelling tools, based on Kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) models, for synthesis and polymerization. These biopolyesters will be blended with commercial biopolymers (e.g., PLA, PBAT, and PHA), biobased chain extenders, and mineral fillers to create bioplastic packaging materials. The design of these blends will employ advanced compounding modelling tools, supported by techniques like screw design and inline rheology measurements, to achieve the target technical performance, sustainability and
biodegradation goals using multi-objective function evaluation. Processability will be also a key factor, with a focus on the primary production techniques used in the packaging industry, namely, blown film extrusion, injection moulding and thermoforming. A set of packaging products’ prototypes (TRL7) will be manufactured to validate the developed materials. The biodegradability of these novel products will be assessed in different End-of-life (EoL) scenarios, including open environments and controlled conditions, thus making possible to fill the gap between laboratory conditions and real end-of-life behaviour of these materials. Additionally, the recyclability of the new products will be evaluated. The data and conclusions of these assessments will be useful for: i) the development of guidelines and tools for circular design contributing to the adoption of the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) Framework; ii) contributing to
improve the standardization framework for testing and labelling of materials and packaging products. Be-UP is expected to replace more than 50,000 tonnes in 2032 of non-biodegradable plastics leading to savings of over 120,000 CO2 eq tonnes yearly.
Project number: 101178689
Project name: Boosting the Industrial Uptake of Biodegradable polymers for packaging applications by implementing digital tools and advanced techniques to achieve a holistic sustainability goal
Project acronym: Be-UP
Call: HORIZON-CL4-2024-RESILIENCE-01-TWO-STAGE
Topic: HORIZON-CL4-2024-RESILIENCE-01-35
Type of action: HORIZON Innovation Actions
Granting authority: European Health and Digital Executive Agency
Project duration: 48 months
Partners: ISOTECH LTD, INSTITUTO TECNOLOGICO DEL EMBALAJE, TRANSPORTE Y LOGISTICA, HYBRID CATALYSIS BV, PARTICULA GROUP DRUSTVO S OGRANICENOM ODGOVORNOSCU ZA ISTRAZIVANJE RAZVOJ I PROIZVODNJU, EUROPEAN BIOPLASTICS EV, Polinivo, IDENER RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT AGRUPACION DE INTERES ECONOMICO, NORMEC OWS, CEBIMAT LAB SL, INNOTECH COEXPAN-EMSUR SL, NOVAMONT SPA, POLYMERIS, IMERYS TALC EUROPE, FAKULTETA ZA TEHNOLOGIJO POLIMEROV, ASOCIACION ESPANOLA DE NORMALIZACION, Aptar France SAS, UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TRIESTE