Project title: Innovative technologies for valorizing lignocellulosic waste to bioplastics
Acronym: LIGNOBIOPLAST
Contract no: TE37/2022
Contracting authority: Executive Unit for Financing Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation (UEFISCDI), Romania
Program 1 – Development of the national research and development system
Project type: Research projects to stimulate young independent teams (TE)

Abstract
A current problem of modern life is founding solutions to replace synthetic plastics with bioplastics, considering that removing millions of tons of plastics from the environment creates significant and unmanageable environmental problems. The present project aims to develop new environmentally friendly technologies regarding the lignocellulosic waste utilization in order to obtain bioplastics (PLA and PHA) by using supercritical CO2 pretreatment method for carbohydrate separation, fermentation with microbial strains, physical-chemical characterization of bioplastic obtained and quality determination. The lifecycle assessment (LCA) of new technologies will also be performed to ensure their sustainability for large-scale implementation. The new bioplastics and technologies to be developed will help to implement bioplastics, a useful tool in the prevention of damage and negative effects caused by conventional plastics. The proposed technologies will help to produce high value-added products that meet national and international standards.

Project objective
The major objectives of the LIGNOBIOPLAST project are (i) to develop innovative technologies for obtaining bioplastics (PLA and PHA) from lignocellulosic waste, (ii) characterization of bioplastics for establishing physical-chemical qualities.

Estimated results

  • Study regarding the existing technologies to produce bioplastics from lignocellulosic wastes;
  • Pretreatment method of lignocellulosic biomass;
  • Technologies for bioplastics production (PHA and PHB) from lignocellulosic waste, using fermentation processes;
  • Experimental data on the physico-chemical characteristics of the obtained bioplastics;
  • Technical documentation of the LIGNOBIOPLAST technology;
  • LCA analysis;
  • National patent application;
  • Communication – participation in international events;
  • Scientific papers in WoS indexed journals.

Project start: 15.05.2022
Project end: 14.05.2024
Project duration: 24 months

Host institution:
National Institute for Research and Development in Optoelectronics INOE 2000
Subsidiary Research Institute for Analytical Instrumentation Cluj Napoca
Adress: 67 Donath, Cluj-Napoca, RO-400293
Phone: +40-264-420590
Fax: +40-264-420667
E-mail: icia@icia.ro

Budget:

  • Project budget: 450.000,00 RON
  • Co-financing: 0,00 RON

Contact:
Project coordinator
Senior Researcher I Dr. Lacrimioara SENILA
Str. Donath 67, Cluj-Napoca, RO-400293
E-mail: lacri.senila@icia.ro; icia@icia.ro
Tel/Fax: +40-264-420590/+40-264-420667

Final Report (.pdf)

Obtained results -Stage 1 (2022)

Stage 1 – Development of experimental technologies for bioplastic production from lignocellulosic waste

  • Act 1.1. Selection of lignocellulosic waste used in the production of bioplastics and review of existing technical documentation for the LIGNOBIOPLAST technology development
  • Act 1.2. Pretreatment of lignocellulosic waste
  • Act 1.3. Development of a fermentation process for the production of bioplastics (PHA and PLA) -Initial
  • Act 1.4. Dissemination

Obtained results

  • Report regarding the existing methods for the production of bioplastics from lignocellulosic waste
  • Report regarding pretreatment of lignocellulosic waste
  • Report on the fermentation process for bioplastics production (PHA and PLA) -initial
  • Dissemination

Article: Lacrimioara Senila, Daniela Alexandra Scurtu, Eniko Kovacs, Erika Andreea Levei, Oana Cadar, Anca Becze, Cerasel Varaticeanu, High-pressure supercritical CO2 pretreatment of apple orchard waste for carbohydrates production using response surface methodology and method uncertainty evaluation, Molecules, 2022, 27, 7783. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/molecules27227783.

Conference: Lacrimioara Senila, Eniko Kovacs, Daniela Alexandra Scurtu, Anca Becze, Production of bioplastics from lignocellulosic biomass, 21st International Conference Life Science for Sustainable Development, 15-17 sept 2022, Cluj-Napoca, Romania (poster presentation).

Stage 1 summay (.pdf)

Obtained results -Stage 2 (2023)

Stage 2 – Development of experimental technologies for bioplastic production from lignocellulosic waste

  • Act 2.1. Development of a fermentation process for the production of bioplastics (PHA and PLA) -Final
  • Act 2.2. Method experimentation. Optimization of the laboratory method for the production of bioplastic from lignocellulosic waste
  • Act 2.3. Physico-chemical characterization of bioplastic obtained by LIGNOBIOPLAST
  • Act 2.4. Dissemination

Obrained results

  • Report on the fermentation process for bioplastics production (PHA and PLA) -Final
  • Experimentation report for the bioplastic production technologies from lignocellulosic waste
  • Report regarding the physico-chemical characterization of obtained bioplastics (PLA and PHA)
  • 2 published papers
  • 3 Communications and conferences

Articles:

  • Lacrimioara Senila, Oana Cadar, Eniko Kovacs, Emese Gal, Monica Dan, Zamfira Stupar, Dorina Simedru, Marin Senila, Cecilia Roman, L-Poly(Lactic Acid) Production by Microwave Irradiation of Lactic Acid Obtained from Lignocellulosic Wastes, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2023, 24, 9817. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24129817.
  • Lacrimioara Senila, Emese Gal, Eniko Kovacs, Oana Cadar, Monica Dan, Marin Senila, Cecilia Roman, Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) production from lignocellulosic wastes using Bacillus megaterium ATCC 14581, Polymers, 2023, 15,4488, https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15234488.

Conferences:

  • Eniko Kovacs, Oana Cadar, Daniela Alexandra Scurtu, Anca Becze, Dalma Kovacs, Lacrimioara Senila, Diana Elena Dumitras, Production of bioplastics (L-polylactic acid and polyhydroxybutyrate acids) from agricultural biomass wastes, 4th International Conference on Material Sciences and Engineering, 11-12 aug 2023, conferinta online (oral presentation).
  • Senila Lacrimioara, Kovacs Eniko, Scurtu Daniela Alexandra, Becze Anca, Kovacs Dalma, Cadar Oana, Production of polyhydroxyalkanoates from lignocellulosic biomass, 6th World Conference and Exhibition (WCCE-2023), 11-12 Sept, Barcelona, Spania (poster presentation).
  • Kovacs Eniko, Senila Lacrimioara, Scurtu Daniela Alexandra, Becze Anca, Kovacs Dalma, Cadar Oana, L-polylatic acid production from lignocellulosic biomass waste via microwave irradiation, 6th World Conference and Exhibition (WCCE-2023), 11-12 Sept, Barcelona, Spania (poster presentation).

Stage 2 summary (.pdf)

Obtained results -Stage 3 (2024)

Stage 3 – Experimentation and optimization of bioplastics technologies from lignocellulosic waste – final

  • Act 3.1 Technical documentation achievement of the LIGNOBIOPLAST method
  • Act 3.2. Evaluation of the obtained bioplastics in terms of technological, economic and environmental aspects (LCA).
  • Act 3.3. Dissemination of results

Results stage 3:

Articles

ISI articles published: 1
Lacrimioara Senila, Ioan Botiz, Cecilia Roman, Dorina Simedru, Monica Dan, Irina Kasco, Marin Senila, Otto Todor-Boer, Processing of thin films based on cellulose nanocrystals and biodegradable polymers by space-confined solvent vapor annealing and morphological characteristics. Materials, 2024, 17, 1685. https://doi.org/10.3390/ ma17071685 (Q1, SRI =1.659).

Patent application submitted to OSIM
Patent application no. A00133/26.03.2024, METHOD FOR OBTAINING BIOPLASTIC POLYLACTIC ACID FROM LIGNOCELLULOSE BIOMASS BY MICROWARE FIELD IRRADIATION, authors: Lacrimioara Senila, Oana Cadar, Eniko Maria Kovacs and Anca Becze

Stage 3 summary (.pdf)