An unique, innovative study in the field of biodegradable polymers led by professors Anna Dotan and Amos Ophir of Shenkar’s Department of Polymer Materials Engineering has been awarded a research grant from the Israel Innovation Authority worth NIS 550,000. The grant is for the initial period of the study, which will be conducted as part of the national research consortium “BioPlast,” a joint project between private industry and academia.

The study concerns the chemical enhancement of hybrid biodegradable polymers in reactive compounding for the purpose of adjusting properties resulting from tensile processes.

The consortium’s vision is to develop compositions of biodegradable polymers as a substitute for polyolefins (PE and PP) with similar mechanical and physical properties, for the production of sheets and films based on stretching processes (stretch, shrink, threads and films), as biodegradable products in a green ecological environment.

The focus of the research is the functionalization of hybrid biopolymers using the reactive compounding method to create compounds and concentrates for biodegradable films, in particular films produced in co-extrusion while stretching and orienting, as well as for stretching and orientation in secondary processing.

The project is unique in how it deals with layered products, such as packaging and sheets/nets for agriculture — in which significant one-way or two-way stretching is required — to improve strength and other related properties.

The grant was awarded to the research group at Shenkar’s Department of Polymer Materials Engineering, which was selected as one of six winners out of 60 research groups from Israeli academia who applied. After completing the initial research period and meeting the milestones, an additional grant of NIS 550,000 will be made available to the research group in order to continue its work and take it forward toward industrial implementation and commercialization.