MODIFICATION
99 -- Lignin-Derived High Performance Plastics Available for Licensing
- Notice Date
- 7/21/2014
- Notice Type
- Modification/Amendment
- NAICS
- 325211
— Plastics Material and Resin Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Department of Energy, Oak Ridge National Laboratory - UT Battelle LLC (DOE Contractor), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Bethel Valley Road, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 37831-6192
- ZIP Code
- 37831-6192
- Solicitation Number
- ORNL-TT-2014-12
- Archive Date
- 9/30/2014
- Point of Contact
- Alexander DeTrana, Phone: 8655769682, Michael J Paulus, Phone: 8655741051
- E-Mail Address
-
detranaag@ornl.gov, paulusmj@ornl.gov
(detranaag@ornl.gov, paulusmj@ornl.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- UT-Battelle, LLC, acting under its Prime Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the management and operation of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), is seeking a commercialization partner for its new "Lignin Derived Plastic" technology. The ORNL Technology Transfer Office will accept licensing applications through September 15, 2014. Lignin, a complex polyphenol found in lignocellulosic biomass, is the third most abundant natural polymer and accounts for up to 30% by weight of wood. This valuable by-product of the biorefinery and pulp and paper industries is produced in quantities exceeding 200 million metric tons annually. Significant commercial potential exists for the conversion of lignin to high-value end products (i.e., functional materials), but lignin remains a difficult material to convert into useful products that have adequate plasticity, elasticity, strength, and toughness for industrial and commercial applications. Furthermore, traditional lignin-based thermoset plastics are not recyclable. A successful manufacturing process for novel lignin-based thermoplastics would open a new pathway to biomass utilization and help conserve petrochemicals. Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a high-performance lignin-based thermoplastic that will be useful for industrial plastic resins and commercial materials. The thermoplastic copolymer is an unmodified or cross-linked lignin (containing methylene and/or ethylene linkages between phenyl ring carbon atoms in the lignin structure) copolymerized with non-lignin thermoplastic polymer segments. Integration of the networked lignin and its thermoplastic derivative has resulted in a product with the advantageous properties of both materials, including moldability, elasticity, ductility, strength, durability, and ruggedness. The resulting material is also melt-processible. The components in the lignin formulations, molar ratios, and other variables can be fine-tuned to adjust the final thermoplastic material's characteristics to meet specific needs or purposes. The team also developed a composite fabrication protocol using lignin-based resin as the matrix. License applications will be evaluated based on prospective partners' ability and commitment to successfully commercialize the technology, with a preference for United States based businesses and small businesses. If a license is executed, the ORNL researchers developing the technology will be eligible to compete for additional funding to further advance the technology. Additional background and technical information may be found on the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Technology Transfer website. (http://www.ornl.gov/connect-with-ornl/for-industry/partnerships/technology-licensing/licensing-opportunity-announcements) This technology was originally developed using federal funds and selected for further development under the laboratory's Technology Innovation Program (TIP). TIP supports technology development using royalties from existing technology licenses to accelerate the market readiness of high potential technologies. For additional information and license application, contact Alex DeTrana, Commercialization Manager, Technology Transfer, 865-576-9682, or detranaag@ornl.gov. Intellectual Property UTB ID 201303165,Polymer Blend Compositions and Methods of Preparation, US Patent Application 14/311,893, filed October 21, 2013. UTB ID 200902293, Lignin Derived Thermoplastics Copolymers and Method of Preparation, US Patent Application 14/058,657, filed November 3, 2011.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DOE/ORNL/ORNL/ORNL-TT-2014-12/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Bethel Valley Road, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6192, United States
- Zip Code: 37831-6192
- Zip Code: 37831-6192
- Record
- SN03431734-W 20140723/140721234717-45ecedd93b7284f0c5afa1f346628dd2 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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