Source: VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE submitted to
PILOT DEMONSTRATION OF A MODULAR BIOPROCESS SYSTEM FOR MANUFACTURING CONSUMER BIOPLASTIC PRODUCTS FROM FOOD WASTES
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1029716
Grant No.
2023-79000-38973
Cumulative Award Amt.
$2,400,874.00
Proposal No.
2022-09359
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jan 1, 2023
Project End Date
Dec 31, 2025
Grant Year
2023
Program Code
[BPP]- Bioproduct Pilot Program
Project Director
Wang, Z.
Recipient Organization
VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
(N/A)
BLACKSBURG,VA 24061
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Most commercial plastics used nowadays are petroleum-based. More than 67% of end-of-life plastics end up in landfills while another eight million tons annually make their way into the ocean where they are not degradable and only accumulate. In the past three pandemic years, the global consumption of the single-use plastics for keeping hygiene have created significant societal and environmental concerns. There is an urgent need for developing biodegradable plastics from renewable sources. The use of plastics is closely linked to another important environmental issue, namely food waste. Nearly 40% of food produced is dumped in landfills, accounting for the single largest component of U.S. municipal solid waste, resulting in not only greenhouse gas emissions but also an annual cost of $165 billion in economic loss including the food itself and associated water, energy, and chemicals spent in the food supply chain. The conversion of food waste to "value-added bioplastic materials" that can be biodegraded in environment may offer a unique solution to both environmental issues.This proposed pilot study targets the production of naturally occurring biodegradable polyesters synthesized by many microbes as the basic materials for producing bioplastics capable of being degraded in various environmental conditions including in the ocean. A three-pronged modular bioprocessing system will be experimented in this study to enable a variety of microbial cultures to convert a wide spectrum of food wastes into bioplastics with productivity high enough to outcompete other bioplastic production technologies. The overall goal of this project is to develop and demonstrate a pilot-scale modular bioprocessing system to produce bioplastics from food wastewith cost competency. This will be the first effort to create a modular bioplastic fermentation system tailored for accommodating the food waste with high property variability. The outcome of this three-year project will be a process that delivers marketable bioplastic products made from food wastes. This circular diversion of food waste for bio-based plastic production holds promise to reduce landfill quantity and waste management cost, offset petroleum-based plastic production and pollution, minimize greenhouse gas emission, and bring environmental justice to disadvantaged communities. This pilot study will be performed in a modular system at the 100 literscale with each component individually optimizable to provide outputs contributing to the best overall economic and environmental results. An interdisciplinary team is assembled from three land-grant universities and a private enterprise to provide all the technological and marketing components required for the success of this advanced modular system. An industrial advisory board consisting of stakeholders and beneficiaries of the technology will also be formed to ensure delivery of the technology with good application relevance.
Animal Health Component
80%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
10%
Applied
80%
Developmental
10%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
40353702020100%
Knowledge Area
403 - Waste Disposal, Recycling, and Reuse;

Subject Of Investigation
5370 - Sewage and waste disposal facilities and systems;

Field Of Science
2020 - Engineering;
Goals / Objectives
The overall goal of this project is to develop and demonstrate a pilot-scale modular bioprocessing system to produce bioplastics from food wastes with cost competency. The supporting objectives and plans to accomplish this project goal include: (1) Food waste inventory check and characterization; (2) Modular design of the pilot scale system; (3) Pilot-scale demonstration of VFA production; (4) Pilot-scale PHA fermentation; (5) PHA extraction and purification; (6) Biomanufacturing and characterization of PHA-derived plastics; and (7) Iterative TEA and LCA to improve and judge the success of this project.
Project Methods
This project will pilot test the food waste-to-bioplastic converstion technology using a modular system at the 100 L scale with each component individually optimizable to provide output contributing to the best overall TEA and LCA results. The project team envisions a sustainable bioplastic production process that combines innovative technologies (arrested anaerobic digestion, thermal hydrolysis pretreatment, as well as lipophilic, consortia, and halophilic PHA fermentation), with cell debris recovery and reuse to create high PHA productivity from different types of food wastes, as well as thefeedback from TEA/LCA models incorporated into each step of the production process to steer the project towards success. To this end, this project will enhance food waste hydrolysis, produce PHAs from VFAs and small chain carbons in hydrolysate using the most economical processing methods, and purify the PHAs using an innovative approach for cell lysis and product recovery. This project will address PHA production limitations by using a novel three-pronged approach with innovations in pretreatment of food waste for high yield PHA production without culture contamination, reducing solvent and sterilization costs as well as the end-of-life impacts and costs of both food waste and plastic pollution management.In particular, the success of the feedstock characterization and preprocessing effort will be evaluated by the comprehensiveness and accuracy of the food waste inventory database to be enriched throughout this project duration, which will be double confirmed by the lab characterization data. The success of the pilot system modular design effort will be evaluated by the punctual delivery of the system setup and installation. The success of the pilot-scale food waste hydrolysis effortwill be measured by the hydrolysis efficiency and the corresponding TEA/LCA results. The success of the pilot-scale PHA fermentation effort will be measured by the cellular PHA contents obtained from the fermentation. The success of the PHA extraction and purification effort will be evaluated by PHA recovery efficiency and PHA purity. The success of thebioplastic product biomanufacturing effort will be evaluated by the quality of both flexible and rigid bioplastic packaging articles such as prototypes of films and containers to be produced from this project. Last but not the least, the overall success of the project will be evaluated by a complete estimation of the bioplastic minimum product-selling price (MPSP) and their global warming potential from food waste under various process parameter combination to be verified in the pilot study.

Progress 01/01/23 to 12/31/23

Outputs
Target Audience:With our efforts of disseminating research outcomes through publication and media outlets, attending professional conference and workshops, hosting lab and facility tours, as well as project meetings, we were able to reach out to public audiences such as 1) Waste management professionals who will be benefited from the cost and environmental assessment findings; 2) Food processors who will be benefited from the downstream cell lysis and product recovery techniques developed from this project and also the opportunity to get value-added processing of their food waste to biopaltics; 3) Bioplastic packaging converters and consumers who will be benefited from the products made from the outcomes of this project; 4) general publics who are interested in nenewable plastics; 5) news media who are keen on biopalstics production from food waste; 6) Professionals who are working in the field of bioplastic synthesis and food waste valorization, fermentation engineering, biodegradable biopolymer, biodegradable plastics, circular bioeconomy, etc. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In total, 3 PhD students, 1 MS student, 1 postdoctoral fellow, and 7 undergraduate students have been trained for dark fermentation, PHA production and extraction, FOG bioconversion, chemical composition analysis, and microbiological techniques for conducting fermentation experiments, biomanufacturing, and LCA/TEA. Moreover, all graduate students have also been trained for writing scientific articles through one-on-one meeting with their respective PDs. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The team will disseminate research results to communities of interest through conference oral and poster presentations, media reports, book chapters, factsheets, and technical papers publications. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Objective 1: Food waste inventory check and characterization More food waste will be collected and characterized for the pilot scale testing. Objective 2: Modular design of the pilot scale system Based on the pilot scale testing results, we will modifier the modular design which can be used for the design of future commercial scale systems. Objective 3: Pilot-scale demonstration of VFA production 100 L anaerobic digester will be operated in dark fermentation mode to mass produce VFA from food waste after process optimization and troubleshooting. The produced VFAs will be used as feedstock in 130 L fermenter for pilot-scale PHA production. Objective 4: Pilot-scale PHA fermentation Pilot-scale PHA production, including both 50 L using glycerol waste and 100 L using FOG and VFAs will be performed by applying further optimized fermentation parameters, fermenation media, and feeding strategies. A postdoc from University of Missouri will be stationed onsite in the pilot lab at Virginia Tech to work with VT graduate students to conduct pilot-scale PHA production. Objective 5: PHA extraction and purification The HMP-based PHA extraction and purification process will be optimized to improve PHA recovery rate and PHA purity on H. mediterranei and pseudomonas strains. The physical and chemical properties of the extracted PHAs from different processes and strains will be characterized. Objective 6: Biomanufacturing and characterization of PHA-derived plastics Prototypes of rigid packaging system with both types of PHAs (scl-PHAs and mcl-PHAs) produced in this project will be produced and used as an additive to enhance mechanical properties of commercially available PHAs. Multiple combinations with other bioplastics will be tested for understanding the properties and functionalities in terms of packaging systems. Objective 7: Iterative TEA and LCA to improve and judge the success of this project The assessment and sensitivity analysis will be completed. The team will also begin evaluating specific scenarios for the biorefinery deployment in the U.S. locations and evaluate supply chain configurations.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1: Food waste inventory check and characterization Food wastes samples were collected from food processing companies, biodiesel facilities and restaurants. Food waste characterization, including TS, VS, pH, COD, total nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, phosphorus, and minerals, were analyzed following standard methods ASTM STP 1282. All the samples were prepared, shipped, and measured following the protocols. Particle size distribution of the food waste before and after wet grinding was also measured. Objective 2: Modular design of the pilot scale system QEG has designed the modular pilot-scale bioprocessing system based on the inputs from the PD and Co-PDs. The modular design at the pilot scale includes both new and existing bioreactors and tanks from QEG, VT, and UM. The UM 130-liter fermenter has been refurbished and delivered to the VT pilot facility. A 50-liter glass fermenter was purchased by Quasar for the fermentation using halophilic strains (e.g., Haloferax Mediterranei) due to the high salinity substrates. The bioreactor was delivered to VT and has been used for pilot scale testing. VT has purchased a 100-L bioreactor for dark fermentation, a disc centrifuge for PHA recovery, and a high-pressure homogenizer for PHA extraction. We have also compared the separation efficiency between disc centrifuge and membrane separation in terms of PHA recovery, energy consumption, and solids residues in the permeate. We have all the key components for PHA production from food waste via the proposed pathways. After pilot scale testing, quasar will modify the modular design based on the testing results, which can be used for the engineering design of the commercial scale system. Objective 3: Pilot-scale demonstration of VFA production We have designed and manufactured a 100 L pilot-scale anaerobic digester with variable mixing speed and temperature. The stainless steel reactor has been delivered and set up at Virginia Tech for pilot scale VFA production through dark fermentation. Meanwhile, a 30 L anaerobic digester has been operated in the dark fermentation mode for three months to demonstrate stable VFA production and also provide seed sludge for the pilot-scale anaerobic digesters. VFA production with high yield has been achieved in the 30 L anaerobic digester. Objective 4: Pilot-scale PHA fermentation The 130 L fermentor was refurbished and commissioned for the pilot scale testing. The fermentor was converted from its orginal version for cell culture by replacing the existing Mass Flow Controller and motor and fully diagnosed for functioning condition. The upgraded pilot scale fermentor has been delivered to Virgin Tech and is for pilot-scale testing and demonstration. Meanwhile, the first round of 50 L PHA fermentation has been accomplished by using H. Mediterranei and glycerol waste generated from biodiesel industry as feedstock. The cellular PHA content in H. Mediterranei achieved was as high as 61.03% cellular volital solids. In parallel, fermentation technology has also been optimized for upscaled production of medium-chain-length PHAs (mcl-PHAs) using pseudomonas strains and waste cooking oil, a representative feedstock of fat, oil, and grease (FOG) as a feedstock. Two routes have been developed to achieve this PHA fermentation, i.e., direct oil conversion and oil-hydrolyzed fatty acids conversion. Both routes reached industrially relevant cell titers (50-150 g/L) with substantial PHA accumulation. For VFAs to PHA conversion, inhibitory effects of VFAs (C2-C6) and various co-substrates have been identified. It was found that glycerol as a food-waste relevant substrate could potentially help overcome inhibitory effects of VFAs for achieving high PHA yield. These outcomes provided critical baseline data and optimized fermention parameters for scaling up in the 130 L pilot-scale fermenter. Objective 5: PHA extraction and purification A new pilot-scale disc-stack centrifuge has been installed to separate bacterial cells from fermentation broth. A tangential flow filtrationmembrane instrument is being tested to concentrate bacterial cells for downstream processing. A new two-stage high pressure homogenizer has been acquired to break the cell walls of bacterial cells to releasing PHAs from cells. A high pressure homogenization (HMP) -based downstream process was developed to break the bacterial cell walls for extracting PHA from the fermentation broth. This method avoids the heavy use of environmentally toxic chemicals and potentially reduces the carbon footprint and the cost of PHA extraction and purification. By using the HMP-based extraction technique, we have been able to extract over 80% of PHA with 80% of purity from H. mediterranei. Objective 6: Biomanufacturing and characterization of PHA-derived plastics Using commercially available PHAs as a reference for method development, a new multilayer film structure has been successfully developed using a spray coating method leveraged from Dr. Kim's lab. Amorphous PHA (aPHA, CJ Biomaterials) shows elastomer behavior, and it is a typical property of mcl-PHAs in this project. We confirmed the amorphous type of PHA can be easily compounded with both crystalline and semicrystalline types of commercial PHAs and be compatible with the novel spray coating manufacturing process. Furthermore, this elastomer behavior can play the role of plasticizer in bioplastic packaging systems. Objective 7: Iterative TEA and LCA to improve and judge the success of this project The baseline Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) model has been developed, assuming a plant capacity of 450 metric tons per day. The initial assessments for both fixed capital investment and operating costs have been completed. The fixed capital investment is assessed to be $77 million, with operating costs amounting to $70 million. The minimum selling price for PHAs has been calculated to be $3.67 per kilogram. Equipment expenditures account for $28 million in capital expenses, with the anaerobic digester and fermenter accounting for the majority of that amount. For Operating Costs, utilities and raw materials constitute the major expenses. An initial sensitivity analysis was also performed, which revealed that PHA yield is the most sensitive parameter.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Ge, X., Chen, Y., S�nchez i Nogu�, V. and Li, Y., 2023. Volatile Fatty Acid Recovery from Arrested Anaerobic Digestion for the Production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel: A Review. Fermentation, 9(9), p.821.
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Accepted Year Published: 2024 Citation: 1. Ge X., Tanvir R. U., Hu, Z., Hassanein A., Lansing S., Yu. Z., Luo, H., Wang Z.. Wan, C., Yang. L., Khanal, S. K. , Li, Y. 2024. Rethinking Anaerobic Digestion for Bioenergy and Biopolymers Production: Challenges and Opportunities. Advances in Bioenergy. Vol 9.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Wan, C., Mudiyanselage, K.M. 2023. Bioupcycling of Waste Streams into Polyhydroxyalkanoates: Opportunities and Challenges. 4th International Conference on Bioresource Technology for Bioenergy, Bioproducts & Environmental Sustainability, May 14-17, 2023, Lake Garda, Italy, invited plenary talk. Mudiyanselage, K.M., Yisheng Sun, Wan, C. 2023. Waste to Bioplastics: Medium?chain Polyhydroxyalkanoates from Waste?derived Organic Acids. Poster, ASABE, July 9-12, Omaha, NE. Zhang X.Y., Amradi N., Hassanein A., Lansing S., Wang Z.W., (2023) Salty food waste conversion to bioplastics. WEFTEC 2023, Sep.30  Oct. 4, Chicago, IL Zhang X.Y., Amradi N., Hassanein A., Lansing S., Wang Z.W., (2023) Bioplastic production from salty food waste. WaterJAM 2023, September 11-14, Virginia Beach, VA Zhang X.Y., Amradi N., Hassanein A., Lansing S., Wang Z.W. (2023) Bioplastic production from food waste. 2023 ASABE Annual International Meeting. July 9  12, Omaha, NE, USA Zhang X.Y., Amradi N., Hassanein A., Lansing S., Wang Z.W., (2023) Salty Food Waste Conversion to Bioplastics. WaterJAM 2023, September 11-14, Virginia Beach, VA Zhang X.Y., Amradi N., Hassanein A., Lansing S., Wang Z.W. (2023) Conversion of salty food waste to bioplastics. AEESP Research and Education Conference 2023, June 20-23, Boston, MA Zhang X.Y., Amradi N., Hassanein A., Lansing S., Wang Z.W. (2023) Bioplastic production from salty food waste. WEF/IWA Residuals and Biosolids Conference 2023, May 16-19, Charlotte, NC
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Luke Weir, At Virginia Tech, research is turning food scraps to bioplastic, Jan 16, 2023, Virginia Tech Daily News. https://roanoke.com/news/local/education/at-virginia-tech-research-is-turning-food-scraps-to-bioplastic/article_0f190a3a-905f-11ed-8541- bf88d73dc905.html Sabine Waldeck , US researchers land US$2.4M to turn food waste into affordable bioplastics, 19 Jan 2023, Packaging insights, https://www.packaginginsights.com/news/us-researchers-land-us24m-to-turn-food-waste-into-affordable-bioplastics.html#:~:text=The%20researchers%20use%20microorganisms%20to,can%20be%20processed%20into%20bioplastics. Maya Rodriguez, Researchers turning food waste into biodegradable plastic, Aug 29, 2023, Scripps News, https://scrippsnews.com/stories/researchers-turning-food-waste-into-biodegradable-plastic/ Luke Weir, Virginia Tech research is turning foodscraps to bioplastic, January 21, 2023, The Washignton Post Mizzou engineering researcher helps turn food wastes into biodegradable plastics. March 10, 2023. https://engineering.missouri.edu/2023/mizzou-engineering-researcher-helps-turn-food-wastes-into-biodegradable-plastics/