Title:
From Agri-food Residues to High-performance Sustainable Polymers: The POLYMERS-5B Pathway Toward Circular Bioplastics
Author(s):
Fonseca, L., Varotto, R., Jester, A.
Document(s):
Paper
Poster
Abstract:
This work presents the development of engineering-grade bio-based polymers derived exclusively from second-generation agri-food residues within the European project POLYMERS-5B (CBE-JU, Grant Agreement No. 101157840). Tomato pomace and olive pomace were processed through a cascaded biorefinery integrating enzymatic depolymerisation, green chemistry fractionation and immobilised-lipase polycondensation. Pilot-scale validation on batches of up to 15 kg demonstrated the reproducible synthesis of polyesters with an elastic modulus of approximately 2 GPa and a glass transition temperature of at least 80 degrees Celsius, enabling conventional industrial melt processing. Cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment indicates a reduction of about 50 per cent of CO2 emissions with respect to fossil-based PET and polycarbonate grades. Using the AI-driven C-Tech Navigator platform developed by NSBproject, the materials were benchmarked against poly(ethylene furanoate) and polyhydroxyalkanoates, identifying a market gap in automotive interiors, technical textiles and functional coatings, where waste-derived and thermally stable polymers can outperform the existing bio-based alternatives. The results confirm the industrial relevance and the scalability of the POLYMERS-5B platform, validated at Technology Readiness Level 5, and position it as a competitive circular polymer pathway for the European bioeconomy.
Keywords:
agricultural residues, biorefinery, circular economy, life cycle assessment (LCA), bio-based polyesters, enzymatic conversion
Topic:
Industry Track
Subtopic:
Production of biomaterials, bioproducts & biochemicals in industry
Event:
34th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
IDV.3.35
Pages:
1128 - 1130
ISBN:
978-88-89407-27-1
Paper DOI:
10.5071/34thEUBCE2026-IDV.3.35
Price:
FREE
