Dukane Donates Equipment to Bioplastics Characterization Lab

Dukane Corporation donated a pneumatic ultrasonic welder and loaned a servo-actuator controlled ultrasonic welding system to David Grewell’s bioplastics research group. The new equipment will be used to study various control algorithms for cutting polylactic acid (PLA) films. More>>

New Biorenewable Plant Containers to Be Displayed at International Plastics Show

The Biopolymers and Biocomposites Research Team will have an exhibit at the NPE2012 International Plastics Showcase April 1-5 in Orlando. The team will be displaying plant containers made from corn and soy proteins, as well as other samples of biobased plastics, composites and coatings. More>>

David Grewell Receives Outstanding Achievement in International Agriculture Award

David Grewell received the Outstanding Achievement in International Agriculture Award at the Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Science's spring convocation on February 16. More>>

Patent Filed for Process to Recycle Polylactic Acid-based Plastic

David Grewell, associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering and Center for Crops Utilization Research and BioCentury Research Farm affiliate, applied for a patent for technology associated with recycling polylactic acid-based plastic (PLA). More>>

Biopolymers and Biocomposites Research Team Showcase Research at Plastics Conference

The Biopolymers and Biocomposites Research Team (BBRT) exhibited at the Global Plastics Environmental Conference on October 17-19 in Atlanta, Georgia. The team showed samples of plastics and composites made from vegetable oils and proteins, plus flower pots and golf tees manufactured from materials they developed. More>>

USDA Awards Iowa State Grant to Develop Biorenewable Plant Containers

Iowa State University has been awarded a grant by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop biorenewable and biodegradable containers for the specialty crop industry. More>>

Biopolymers & Biocomposites Research Team Exhibiting at GPEC - October 17-19

The Biopolymers & Biocomposites Research Team (BBRT) will be exhibiting at the Global Plastics Environmental Conference on October 17-19 in Atlanta Georgia. Please visit Booth #300.

David Grewell will be presenting a paper, "Effects on Mechanical Properties of Higher Beta Zein Content Bioplastics."
View summary, page 52 [PDF]

BBRT students will have three posters on display. View abstracts [PDF]
Carbon Fibers from Bio-renewable Lignin - Keke Chen
Improving the Interfacial Properties of Glass Fiber Reinforced Bio-renewable Resin with Silane Coupling Agents - Hongyu Cui
Depolymerization of post-consumer poly-lactic acid with ultrasonics - Gowrishankar Srinivasan

From LiveScience.com: Researching Biorenewable Plastics and Self-Healing Composites

LiveScience.com interviews Iowa State University professor and Biopolymers & Biocomposites Research Team member Michael Kessler. More>>

Richard Larock Retires

Richard Larock, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at Iowa State University, retired on May 13. Larock has been a long-time member of the Center for Crops Utilization Research's Biopolymers and Biocomposites Research Team. More>>

Iowa State, Ames Lab researcher developing bio-based polymers that heal cracks

Michael Kessler has worked with polymers that repair themselves when they crack. And he's worked with polymers made from vegetable oils. Now he's working to combine the two technologies. More>>

Kessler's CAREER Award Combines Quests for Self-healing, Biorenewable Polymers

The successful pursuit of polymer research along two separate lines brought Associate Professor Michael Kessler to a simple yet unexpected confluence of ideas that raised a straightforward question: Why not combine them? More>>

Iowa Professor Turns Crops Into Composites

From Composites Manufacturing: An interview with David Grewell. More>>

Iowa State Harvesting Bioplastics

If researchers at Iowa State University have their way, bioplastics soon will join corn, soybeans and oats as one of the state's top agricultural exports. More>>

Bioplastics Software Being Developed at Iowa State to be Tested at International Plastics Show

There is growing interest in finding renewable products that can be substituted for petrochemicals in a myriad of applications. While biobased plastics are seen as more environmentally preferable, clearly they won't be used commercially unless it can be determined they are economically viable. More>>