The project objective is to develop a flexible, energy-efficient and environmentally-sustainable manufacturing process enabling the production of biodegradable foamed 3D-shaped packaging originating from renewable raw materials (i.e. starch and water). The expansion and foaming of the bio-polymer will be driven by pressurized microwave technology, exploiting the inner water content of the material itself to generate vapour.

In particular the focus will be on:

› the development of a proper formulation of base materials thus allowing to achieve moulded foam products meeting functional requirements for transport packaging as well as the development of an appropriate extrusion process accordingly, thereby bringing about technical adaptations to existing paste extrusion equipment;

› the evaluation of the effects of microwave fields as well as varying pressure profiles on pellet expansion rate and performances thus enabling an efficient design of the microwave oven as well as efficient tuning of operational parameters required for expansion;

› the comparison of dielectric properties of different mould materials as well as the selection the most appropriate material for mould coating also taking account of the occurrence of viscous shear stresses at the foam / mould interface;

› the development of an efficient microwave moulding system with variable pressure control, as well as the development of an automated pilot plant prototype demonstrating viability of technologies at a larger semi-industrial scale that will be used to produce a variety of foam packaging product prototypes for different applications;

› the development of a process simulator to tune moulding and process parameters based on the required final shape and characteristics of the packaging products, guaranteeing full flexibility to the process itself.