Technology of biorefining vegetable oils for the production of advanced composite materials

The project involves the development of a technology for biorefining of vegetable oils for the production of advanced composite materials. The project has two complementary practical goals. The main goal of the project is to create a demonstration line - a mobile biorefinery module for the production of a unique family of bacterial polymers - polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA). An important issue, which is the second goal of the project, is to demonstrate the potential of these polymers in the development of the Polish economy on the example of the preparation of composite materials for spatial forming (e.g. bone and cartilage tissue implants or other advanced non-implantation composite forms [flexible materials used for industry - textiles, food packaging, toys and other plastic products]). Planned research includes the construction of the demonstration line prototype, its validation and the production of two types of PHA polymers from rapeseed oil hydrolysis products - polyhydroxybutyrate and amorphous PHA. The developed technology will be available on the market on the basis of its licensing. On the basis of polymers and ceramic semi-finished products, a series of blends (PHA mixtures) and polymer-ceramic composites (e.g. for applications in the regeneration of cartilage) will be created, and then the technology of spatial formation of selected mixtures will be developed, which will be implemented in the company's operations. Ceramic-polymer composites will also be produced without the use of spatial forming technology with potential application in bone tissue engineering. The materials, and finally the implants, that will be created in the course of the project, will be framed with a physicochemical analysis and a detailed biological analysis (in vitro and in vivo). The project is part of two strategic areas of the TechMatStrateg program - (1) technologies of functional materials and materials with designed properties and (2) waste-free material technologies and technologies of biodegradable engineering materials.