Finite supplies of increasingly dirty petroleum, climate changes due to carbon dioxide emissions and communities choking in pollution caused by manufacturing as well as their own solid wastes are pressing environmental problems. Because of these problems, sustainability is becoming a leading issue… More

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project develops next-generation price-performance competitive bioplastics. Economic and environmental concerns make it highly desirable to find alternative sources for petroleum based plastics as a means of preventing pollution and ensuring… More

Petroleum is finite and as world economies develop it will be increasingly expensive. Consequently, crude oils containing contaminants including mercury and sulfur will be processed. The resulting extensive pollution along with concerns over climate change make it highly desirable to find… More

This Phase II SBIR research develops innovative nanotechnology to allow the use of bioplastics for food packaging. Polylactic acid (PLA) is an environmentally beneficial bioplastic made from renewable resources; however, the properties of PLA are limited. This makes it unsuited for use in… More

This multiphase project develops higher heat resistant materials for use in face shields of self-contained breathing apparatuses (SCBAs) and brings them to commercial markets. Key findings of the Phase I work are that polyethersulfone (PES) is a promising replacement for polycarbonate (PC) with… More