Grant Proposal

Summary

Styrofoam (expanded polystyrene (EPS)) is inexpensive but lasts nearly forever in landfills. It is used in cafeteria trays, cups, and plates that are used briefly and discarded. Currently, steps are being taken to reduce the impact of EPS plates by switching to paper products or bagasse (sugar cane refuse) products, but these are very expensive. I am trying to develop a suitable replacement for the polystyrene made from biodegradable or renewable resources by researching and testing various starches.

Introduction

I am a student at Stratford High School, taking advanced classes and interested in environmental science and chemistry. I am also in the Academy of Science and Engineering. In the future I hope to become an engineer, probably environmental or chemical. My senior project for this program will be making biodegradable EPS because I am very passionate about being eco-friendly. In my three years at Stratford I have taken the most challenging classes, like pre-AP and AP classes, including AP Chemistry. Next year I will be taking AP Environmental Science and AP Calculus BC.  I maintain a compost pile at home and try to recycle as much as I can in efforts to leave the smallest "footprint" I can. I have also started Stratford's Environment Club, and our goal for next year is to start food waste sorting in the cafeteria.

Statement of Need

I am seeking a grant for this project because of the impacts of EPS. EPS is everywhere, especially in disposable products used for serving food, such as cups, trays, plates, take-out boxes etc. These are problematic because they are used only briefly but last nearly forever in landfills. EPS is also potentially hazardous to our health because it may leach chemicals into the food that they hold or into the ground (landfills). Particles of foam are also hazardous to wildlife, should animals eat them.

Some steps have been taken to reduce EPS's impact by using bagasse (sugarcane waste) or paper to make plates but these products are often double the price of styrofoam. Because of their increased cost, places with tight budgets cannot use them, like school cafeterias. In addition, consumers do not like buying alternative products because they are more expensive. Also, the energy and resources used to create paper products is more than that of EPS products. Reusable trays are also not a good substitute because of the labor and water needed to wash them. Therefore, a complete substitute of the polystyrene used to make the foam is necessary.

Objectives

I plan to research and test different starches to make foams. I will first make a mold to shape the foam into cups. My findings will be noted about each kind/formula of foam, such as water resistance, density, strength, and cost. I will be testing the cups with different kinds of liquids, looking for characteristics of the cup. I will be seeing if the cup will hold liquid, how well it holds, how long it will hold, etc. Optimally, I will develop a formula that is comparable to EPS in that it is flexible, inexpensive, and water resistant. I will also make a mold to make the foam into a cup. Replacing EPS with biodegradable foam will be beneficial to the environment because it will not remain intact for as long as EPS and can be made from renewable resources, as opposed to petroleum. It will also be safer to use because it will not leach harmful substances into food.

Timeline

In August, I will order supplies for making the mold. Then, I will make the mold for making the cup. After gathering all the materials, I will mix batters, whip them, and mold them. I will also test and compare their traits. In October I will collect acorns and make acorn starch foams. I will finalize my results and data in October.

Methods

To develop an inexpensive, renewable, compostable plastic that can be molded like EPS, I will need to experiment with many different mixtures of starch, water, and other substances.

I will experiment with different ratios of polymers to plasticizers. The polymers I am using are starches or agar agar, and the plasticizers are oil or glycerin. I will also compare different starches, such as potato starch, corn starch, and acorn starch. Different amounts of plasticizer will be added to see what will make the best foam.

To make the plastic, I will mix starch, water, and other ingredients, then heat the mixture until it becomes transparent and gel-like. Then, I will beat it with a hand-mixer until it becomes foamy, like a meringue. This foam can then be piped into a mold and dried. I will be making cups from this foam.

Because I do not have a mold, I need to create one. I will wrap several layers of aluminum foil around a glass cup for the shape. Then, I will create a base for the cup. The base will be removable to take the finished cup out. See Fig. 1 in the appendix for the mold shape.

I will test different methods of drying the foam. I can either bake the foam, freeze dry it, or let it dry at room temperature. Speed of drying and quality of product will be noted.

After making the foams, I will note their characteristics, like how well they molded, density, water resistance, strength, brittleness, etc. I will also calculate cost of the materials to estimate cost per weight of the formula. I'm looking for a foam that is like styrofoam; it will be slightly flexible, lightweight, and still sturdy. A styrofoam cup is fragile in that you can tear it with you hands, but it is strong enough to hold a cupful of water without leaking or breaking.

I will test hot and cold liquids in the foam cups and see if they can hold the liquids. I will also note how long they can hold the liquids. If the cup cannot hold liquid at all (it disintegrates in water) then that will also be noted.

Evaluation of Project

The results and characteristics of each mixture will be recorded. These will be presented to the grantor at the completion of the project. Additionally, I will keep a blog running (this one) to keep the grantor and others updated with my progress. It will be updated once a week.