NSF Awards Grant for Biodegradable Diapers

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In Michigan, Ecovia Renewables has been awarded a $750,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to develop biodegradable superabsorbent biopolymers for hygiene applications.

Ecovia’s technology uses a microbial co-culture fermentation route for “cost effective production of biodegradable and non-toxic superabsorbent materials from renewable biomass resources.”

Developing superabsorbent cores for infant diapers, which the EPA says accounts for 2–3% of total garbage waste, is the main focus of the grant.

Ecovia says its biopolymers have higher absorbency, greater free swell, and faster lock-up compared to other biodegradable solutions such as starch grafts.