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Safe and Renewable Plasticizers from Cellulose

Award Information
Agency: Department of Energy
Branch: N/A
Contract: DE-FG02-13ER90615
Agency Tracking Number: 83574
Amount: $150,000.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: 10 a
Solicitation Number: DE-FOA-0000760
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2013
Award Year: 2013
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2013-02-19
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
110 Dorsa Ave
Livingston, NJ 07039-1037
United States
DUNS: 112437384
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Amit Goyal
 Dr.
 (973) 740-2350
 agoyal@exelusinc.com
Business Contact
 Mitrajit Mukherjee
Title: Mr.
Phone: () -
Email: mmukherjee@exelusinc.com
Research Institution
 Stub
Abstract

Phthalates are a class of petroleum-derived chemicals used as plasticizers to improve the properties of polymeric materials like PVC. However, they are currently being phased out of use in the US and elsewhere due to concerns about their toxicity and action as endocrine disruptors. One viable substitute for phthalates is esters of isosorbide. Isosorbide is a di-alcohol containing two fused oxolane rings and is produced by the dehydration of sorbitol. Isosorbide esters are both safe and renewable. Unfortunately, the feedstock sorbitol is produced in too small quantities and at too high of a price to be competitive with petroleum-derived phthalates. As a result of the cost, isosorbide is largely restricted to highly specialized uses in pharmaceuticals currently. This SBIR project will develop a new, low-cost chemical route to isosorbide starting from the cellulose contained in raw biomass. Exelus unique biomass processing technology will be adapted to supply low-cost feedstock to a new process for the production of isosorbide. In this project, new, ultra-stable heterogeneous catalysts will be developed to promote the key conversion of this feedstock to isosorbide. Engineered solid acids resistant to thermal and chemical deactivation will be developed with a focus on achieving high selectivity and conversion at industrially relevant space times. The project will also include investigations of catalyst stability and a techno-economic analysis to verify the cost advantages offered by this route. This reaction step will then be integrated into the biomass processing technology to yield a highly efficient chemical process for converting raw biomass into isosorbide. If successful, this project will offer a highly versatile renewable chemical, isosorbide, capable of replacing several toxic petrochemicals such as phthalates. Isosorbide can also be used as a monomer replacing phthalic anhydride in PET plastics. By changing the feedstock from crop- derived sugar to raw lignocellulosic biomass, this process is expected to produce isosorbide at one-third the cost of the conventional route, thereby opening up multiple new markets for this versatile renewable

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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