COMMERCIAL USE OF CELLULOSE MICROBUBBLES AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO POLYSTYRENE FOAM

THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF THIS PROPOSED PROGRAM IS TO DEVELOP PURE CELLULOSE FOAM PRODUCTS AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE POPULAR POLYSTYRENE FOAM (PSF) ITEMS SUCH AS CUPS AND TRAYS. THERE IS GROWING PUBLIC CONCERN OVER THE CONTINUAL ACCUMULATION OF NONDEGRADABLE PLASTICS IN THE ENVIRONMENT. WE AS A COUNTRY DISPOSE OF 20 BILLION POUNDS OF PLASTIC ANNUALLY. POLYSTYRENE IS ONE OF THESE PLASTICS. FOR EXAMPLE, 25 BILLION PSF CUPS ARE PRODUCED ANNUALLY IN THIS COUNTRY WITH LITTLE RECYCLING. PSF PRODUCTS ARE PETROLEUM BASED AND THEREFORE DEPENDENT UPON FOREIGN IMPORTS. OUR PROPOSAL CONCERNS THE USE OF ONE OF THE MOST ABUNDANT MATERIALS IN THE WORLD, CELLULOSE. CELLULOSE FOAM OFFERS SEVERAL IMPORTANT ADVANTAGES TO THE ENVIRONMENT. IT IS BIODEGRADABLE, FLAMMABLE WITHOUT TOXIC EFFLUENT GASES, COMPOSTABLE, RENEWABLE, AND THE RAW MATERIAL IS U.S. GROWN. THE THERMAL INSULATION PROPERTIES OF PSF RESULT FROM THE ENTRAPPED BUBBLES WITHIN AND THE LOW MASS OF PLASTIC IN THE INTERSTITIAL WALL. CLOSED-CELL CELLULOSE FOAM EXHIBITS COMPARABLE PROPERTIES. IT ALSO PROVIDES THE RIGID FOAM STRUCTURE NECESSARY FOR SUCH PRODUCTS. MICROSOME HAS DEVELOPED AN INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY TO CREATE CELLULOSE FOAM. THIS PHASE I EFFORT WILL ADDRESS THE KEY FEASIBILITY ISSUES AND EXAMINE PRODUCTION COSTS.