LOOP4PACK Project
From October 2019 to March 2023
The LOOP4PACK project aims to contribute to the development of a sustainable French value chain for converting agro-industrial residues into PHA-based polymers, targeting flexible food packaging. This initiative leverages an economic network represented by a major company (McCain) and a competitiveness cluster (Euramaterials).
Site internet : https://projet-loop4pack.fr/
PartneRs
Montpellier University (IATE)
TBI (UMR INSA CNRS INRAE)
CRITT Bio-Industries (INSA)
McCain
Budget
482,8 k€
Funding agency
ANR
(ANR-19-CE43-0006)
projeCt
ObjectiVES
The project will address key scientific and technological challenges currently limiting the use of agro-industrial by-products or residues to produce PHAs with properties suitable for commercial applications:
- LOOP4PACK seeks to expand and control the functionalities of PHAs
- LOOP4PACK aims to reduce the costs and environmental impact of PHA-based materials
The consortium brings together a diverse and complementary group of stakeholders across the value chain: Two research laboratories (IATE, University of Montpellier) and TBI (INSA Toulouse), One technology resource center: CRITT Bio-Industries, One major company: McCain, and One competitiveness cluster: Euramaterials.
CRITT Bio-industries
CONTRIBUTION
CRITT Bio-Industries is responsible for developing and improving a method for extracting and purifying PHAs produced via microbial pathways and scaling up this method. The initial specifications for the method aim to ensure environmental friendliness, minimize production costs, and achieve high-quality PHAs. The key targets include:
- Avoiding the use of organic solvents: A mechanical cell disruption method will be explored.
- Achieving a minimum PHA recovery rate of 80%.
- Ensuring a minimum purity level of 90%.
- Limiting the method’s impact on the molecular weights of extracted PHAs.
The developed method will be scaled up to extract significant quantities of PHAs (several hundred grams) from biomass batches supplied by the IATE partner. This will enable the characterization and formulation of the extracted PHAs, paving the way for their commercial applications.