Application potential: The humin-like furanic polymers can be used as both UV light shielding agent and as well as for improving mechanical strength in various products such as thin films, bottles, tablet strips for pharmaceutical uses, windows, display screens guard, sun protective glass, welding glass, vertical blind, cloths, paints, varnish, dispersant, sun-screen lotions and creams.
- Replacing the petroleum-derived products with biomass-derived products is an emerging area. Use of a biomass-derived polymer as a UV-shielding agent with higher efficiency than petro-derived commercial polymers would be highly beneficial.
- Bio-derived furanic polymers (BFP) developed at CSIR-CSMCRI has better UV-shielding efficiency than many commercial compounds.
- It improves the mechanical strength of its composite materials.
- Further, it can be blended with many natural bio-polymers and their derivatives to make completely bio-based bio-degradable films/products.
Furanic polymer (BFP) has been prepared at 300 g per batch, and BFP/PVA composite thin film is prepared at 1-meter length scale by a solvent casting method. BFP/PMMA composites prepared at 2.5 cm dia scale by micro compounding and compressing mould-casting method. BFP/LLDPE composite is prepared at few hundred meter scale by melt blowing method. The approaches render confidence that the BFP can be used at even larger scale through different methods.
As BFP is biomass derived polymeric powder, it can be used as both UV shielding agent and as well as for improving mechanical strength in various products such as thin films, bottles, tablet strips for pharmaceutical uses, windows, display screens guard, sun protective glass, welding glass, vertical blind, cloths, paints, varnish, dispersant, sun-screen lotions and creams.
This process is eco-friendly. No waste is generated.
Polysaccharide and sugar sources for preparation of BFP (agarose chitosan, κ-carrageenan, cellulose, seaweed cellulose (Ulva), potassium alginate, starch, glucose, fructose, sucrose and xylose); Polymer (Polyvinyl chloride, Polyvinylidene fluoride, Poly(methyl methacrylate), Linear low-density polyethylene); Bio-polymer (κ-carrageenan, potassium alginate, Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, Carboxymethylcellulose, agarose, and agar); Solvent (Water, DMSO, Methanol).
Reaction vessel; Centrifuge/filter assembly; Micro compounding; Melt mixture; Twin screw extruder; Melt blower; Dryer; Film making machines.
Tentative Price: ₹600-700/Kg (without considering the other valuable products produced such as HMF).
BFP powder is not yet available as a commercial product.
Licensing of technology would include the know-how of BFP synthesis and BFP-polymer composite making and demonstrating its UV-shielding property; License fee, royalty and other financial details are available on request
