Naturally sourced compostable bioplastic barrier material for food packaging
Patented PHBV-natural rubber blend with bio-based upcycled waste modifiers for sustainable food packaging. Food-safe, biodegradable, and potentially recyclable with barrier properties comparable to polypropylene, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Overview
This patented Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate)-natural rubber (PHBV-NR) blend offers a sustainable alternative to conventional petroleum-based food packaging. By combining bacterially sourced PHBV with natural rubber and novel plasticizers derived from upcycled coffee ground waste, the technology delivers food-grade, biodegradable, and potentially recyclable packaging with barrier properties comparable to polypropylene. The material addresses growing industry demand for environmentally responsible packaging while meeting stringent food safety standards.
Technical specifications
Key features:
- Bio-based composition: PHBV is bacterially sourced, recyclable, biodegradable, and thermally processable
- Proprietary NR blending: Natural rubber added through a proprietary process provides customizable mechanical properties for packaging applications
- Barrier performance: Water vapor permeability and sealability comparable to polypropylene
- Food safety compliance: Low leaching in water-based solutions, met FDA specifications with acidic food such as tomato sauce
- Mechanical properties: Tensile strength similar to polypropylene with proprietary technology to reduce density while maintaining performance
- Sustainability profile: Degraded by 15% in 53 days in lab-scale aerobic composting at 58°C, reducing greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional plastics
- Recycling compatibility: Designed for compatibility with existing recycling streams
Technology readiness level
The PHBV-NR blend is currently at TRL-6, having been prototyped with food trays manufactured from the optimized blend. Migration studies confirmed safety for food-contact applications. Future validation efforts will tailor the blend to meet specific commercial requirements including improved toughness and thermal stability, lower density, recycling stream compatibility, and biodegradability. The proposed collaboration with industry partners will enable comprehensive studies of structural, compositional, and processing parameters to advance application-specific properties for commercial deployment.
About The Ohio State University
The Ohio State University is a comprehensive public land‑grant research university in Columbus, serving one of the nation’s largest student populations and a broad research enterprise. Industry partners engage through an integrated academic medical center for clinical translation, a campus‑adjacent innovation district for co‑located projects, and a statewide extension network that pilots solutions across Ohio. Corporate engagement provides a single front door for sponsored research, talent pipelines, and streamlined agreements. Research is supported by competitive federal funding from agencies such as NIH, NSF, DOE, USDA, DoD, and NASA. A dedicated technology transfer office and venture support help protect IP, license technologies, and launch startups.
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