*** 9761104 Siparsky This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I proposal addresses the issue of waste reduction from food packaging material. There have been very few commercial solutions to the problem of accumulated plastics waste. After a decade of intensive research and political backing, plastics recycling remains specific to very few packaging systems such as milk containers and large carbonated beverage bottles. Similarly, degradable polymers have also had a negligible commercial impact, mostly due to their cost and poor physical properties. To overcome these problems, TDA Research Inc. has developed a low-cost degradable hybrid organic/inorganic polymer based on a low-cost natural material, to give a resin with considerable structural integrity and biocompatibility. The hybrid polymer is stable at high temperatures and can be used in the manufacture of microwavable clamshells and dualovenables for the food packaging industry. The proposed resin is expected to be cheaper than the current laminates used in the food industry. In Phase I, TDA will prepare the degradable resin, mold the dual-ovenable containers and examine their properties. In Phase II, TDA will collaborate with a major producer of biodegradable plastics to prepare 100 lb. quantities of the resin and carry out market testing. The proposed degradable hybrid organic/inorganic material will be used to prepare food packaging that requires high temperature stability and excellent barrier properties. These applications include dual-ovenables and clamshells, containers used to store ready-to-eat food in the freezer and to heat it in the microwave. Other applications include barrier coatings on inexpensive paperboard. ***
