| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 74.29 |
| Liaison | Brandon Trelstad |
| Submission Date | Dec. 23, 2020 |
Oregon State University
IN-48: Innovation B
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 0.50 |
Brandon
Trelstad Sustainability Coordinator Sustainability Office |
Name or title of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
A brief description of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome that outlines how credit criteria are met and any positive measurable outcomes associated with the innovation:
Chemical engineering researchers at Oregon State University have developed a vegetable oil-based adhesive that could provide an eco-friendly option in making items such as sticky notes, postage stamps and bandages.
The potential environmental and financial implications are huge as pressure-sensitive adhesives, often abbreviated as PSAs, represent a multibillion-dollar global business currently occupied predominantly by adhesives made from petrochemicals. They are widely used in the manufacturing of shipping labels and packaging tape required in the vast online retailing sector of the world economy.
“Our novel PSAs are the only vegetable-oil-based, biodegradable and commercially viable PSAs in the world,” said OSU chemical engineering professor Kaichang Li, who developed the adhesives with postdoctoral research associate Anlong Li.
“Biodegradable PSAs can alleviate the pollution of solid waste. The processes of producing and using petrochemical-based PSAs are time-consuming and energy consuming and may require the use of organic solvents. Our PSAs use renewable materials, and manufacturing processes are simple and fast, as well as requiring much less energy than petrochemical-based PSAs.”
The new adhesives can be cured under ultraviolet light in one second, making the cost of producing tapes and labels competitive with existing production processes.
Li’s team developed the new PSAs to meet the stringent needs of a Portland company whose clients include firms from the semiconductor industry. Oregon State has filed a provisional patent for the adhesive formulations and curing process.
A letter of affirmation from an individual with relevant expertise or a press release or publication featuring the innovation :
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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