高吸水性聚合物(SAP)是尿褲和衛(wèi)生巾的原材料。這些重化學(xué)物質(zhì)吸收和保留血液和尿液等體液的重量達(dá)到其原始重量的數(shù)百倍。

 

SAPs revolutionised personal care when they hit the personal hygiene market in the early 1980s. Now, the chemical industry must mount a new wave of innovation, this time targeted at improving product sustainability. Like most polymers, SAPs are not renewable or biodegradable as their basic chemicals are derived from oil. Because single-use applications are common, these non-renewable SAPs contribute massively to air and water pollution. In the US, around 12 billion sanitary pads are disposed of every year while in the UK, diapers account for 2-3 percent of household waste.

 

sap在20世紀(jì)80年代初進入個人衛(wèi)生用品市場時，徹底改變了個人護理產(chǎn)品市場。現(xiàn)在，化工行業(yè)必須掀起新一輪的創(chuàng)新浪潮，這次的目標(biāo)是提高產(chǎn)品的可持續(xù)性。與大多數(shù)聚合物一樣，sap是不能可再生或可生物降解的，因為它們的基本化學(xué)成分來自石油。由于一次性應(yīng)用很普遍，這些不可再生的sap嚴(yán)重污染了空氣和水污染。在美國，每年大約有120億塊衛(wèi)生巾被丟棄，而在英國，尿布占家庭垃圾的2- 3%。

 

For the last two decades, many companies have tried to lower the carbon footprint of SAP hygiene items with efficiency measures such as decreasing product weight. However, a wholesale shift to biobased SAPs is required to achieve fully renewable, biodegradable, and low carbon items. 

 

在過去的二十年里，很多公司一直試圖通過降低產(chǎn)品重量等效率措施來降低SAP衛(wèi)生用品的碳足跡。然而，為了實現(xiàn)完全可再生、可生物降解和低碳產(chǎn)品，需要大規(guī)模轉(zhuǎn)向生物基sap。

 

One 2013 study in the International Journal of Life Cycle Assessments suggested that SAPs in disposable diapers contribute most of the product’s total environmental burden, even though absorbents comprise only a fraction of its total weight.  It also found that diapers made from a combination of petrochemical and biobased chemicals brought environmental benefits, including for human toxicity, freshwater eutrophication, and marine ecotoxicity. 

 

2013年發(fā)表在《國際生命周期評估雜志》(International Journal of Life Cycle Assessments)上的一項研究表明，一次性紙尿褲中的sap占了該產(chǎn)品總環(huán)境負(fù)擔(dān)的大部分，盡管吸收劑只占其總重量的一小部分。研究還發(fā)現(xiàn)，由石化和生物基化學(xué)品組合制成的紙尿褲帶來了環(huán)境效益，包括對人體的毒性、淡水富營養(yǎng)化和海洋生態(tài)毒性。

 

Personal hygiene is one application where the physical attributes of a product’s active chemicals are non-negotiable. To capture the absorbents market, renewable SAPs must match or exceed fossil-fuel derived equivalents on performance. Apart from high absorption, the biobased SAP must retain its structure after swelling, have a low soluble content, low price, and be pH neutral upon absorption. Other requirements are that it should be odourless, colourless, and nontoxic for hygiene and comfort.  

 

個人衛(wèi)生用品是一個其產(chǎn)品的活性化學(xué)物質(zhì)的物理屬性不可協(xié)商的應(yīng)用領(lǐng)域。為了占領(lǐng)吸收劑市場，可再生SAP必須在性能上達(dá)到或超過化石燃料衍生的等效SAP。除了高吸收率外，生物基SAP在膨脹后必須保持其結(jié)構(gòu)，可溶性含量低，價格低，吸收時pH為中性。其他要求是，它應(yīng)該是無味，無色，無毒的衛(wèi)生和舒適。

 

Global chemicals companies leading on biobased SAP  

全球化學(xué)品公司在生物基SAP領(lǐng)域處于領(lǐng)先地位的：

 

Some major chemicals companies have entered the biobased SAP space over the last few years. These large producers have focused on creating plant-based versions of common base materials for SAP manufacture, such as acrylic acid. One of the most established companies to turn towards biobased SAPs is Nippon Shokubai’s Europe subsidiary, a long-time specialist in conventional SAP and petrochemical acrylic acid manufacture. 

 

在過去的幾年里，一些主要的化學(xué)公司已經(jīng)進入了生物基SAP領(lǐng)域。這些大型生產(chǎn)商專注于為SAP制造常見基礎(chǔ)材料(如丙烯酸)創(chuàng)造基于植物的版本。日本Nippon公司的歐洲子公司是轉(zhuǎn)向生物基SAP的最成熟的公司之一，該公司長期以來一直是傳統(tǒng)SAP和石化丙烯酸生產(chǎn)的專家。

 

In 2021, Nippon Shokubai Europe advanced its biobased product line by obtaining certification from the ISCC for a bio-based propylene, the substance that goes into making acrylic acid. Their renewable propylene is made from glycerol, commonly sourced from vegetable oils. Nippon Shokubai Europe’s move to biobased acrylic acid forms part of the company’s overarching strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. It is now developing a biodegradable and recyclable SAP.

 

2021年，日本Nippon歐洲公司通過獲得ISCC對生物基丙烯(用于制造丙烯酸的物質(zhì))的認(rèn)證，推進了其生物基產(chǎn)品線。他們的可再生丙烯是由甘油制成的，通常來源于植物油。Nippon Shokubai Europe向生物基丙烯酸的轉(zhuǎn)變是該公司到2050年實現(xiàn)碳中和總體戰(zhàn)略的一部分。該公司目前正在開發(fā)一種可生物降解和可回收的SAP 。

 

Archer Daniels Midland is another global company involved in biobased SAP development. In the early 2000s, the company developed and patented a method for using starch to produce a high-quality SAP. In September 2019, LG Chem and Archer Daniels Midlands announced a joint development agreement to create a bio-based acrylic acid, the leading polymer ingredient in SAP manufacture. The deal will see biotech company AGM supply biobased components to LG Chem, part of LG Chem’s pivot towards the bioplastics segment.  

 

Archer Daniels Midland是另一家從事生物基SAP開發(fā)的國際公司。在21世紀(jì)初，該公司開發(fā)了一種使用淀粉生產(chǎn)高質(zhì)量SAP的方法并獲得了專利。2019年9月，LG化學(xué)和Archer Daniels Midlands宣布了一項聯(lián)合開發(fā)協(xié)議，以生產(chǎn)生物基丙烯酸，這是SAP制造的主要聚合物成分。根據(jù)該協(xié)議，生物技術(shù)公司AGM將向LG化學(xué)供應(yīng)生物基材料，這是LG化學(xué)轉(zhuǎn)向生物塑料領(lǐng)域的一部分。

 

A new generation of biobased SAPs hit the market

新一代生物基sap進入市場

 

Some companies have been working with starch and glycerol but green chemicals startups are turning to more unusual feedstocks for biobased polymers requires in SAPs. These second-generation feedstocks and materials tend to offer better product biodegradability on top of renewability.

 

有些公司一直在與淀粉和甘油合作，但綠色化學(xué)品初創(chuàng)公司正在轉(zhuǎn)向更不尋常的原料，以滿足sap所需的生物基聚合物。這些第二代原料和材料傾向于在可再生的基礎(chǔ)上提供更好的產(chǎn)品生物降解性。

 

Ecovia Renewables, a University of Michigan spinoff founded 2014, is pioneering SAP fermentation. Unlike most SAPs on the market, Ecovia’s renewable product is not made from a bio-based acrylic acid. The company uses polyglutamic acid instead, an organic chemical occurs naturally in the silken threads of natto, a fermented soy-based food that is popular in Japan. Ecovia’s ferments polyglutamic acid using the company’s suite of non-GMO microbes. The SAP made from this material has a range of applications. 

 

Ecovia Renewables是密歇根大學(xué)(University of Michigan) 2014年的衍生公司，是SAP發(fā)酵的先驅(qū)。與市場上的大多數(shù)sap不同，Ecovia的可再生產(chǎn)品不是由生物基丙烯酸制成的。該公司使用聚谷氨酸代替，這是一種有機化學(xué)物質(zhì)，天然存在于納豆的絲中，納豆是一種在日本很受歡迎的發(fā)酵大豆食品。Ecovia公司使用該公司的非轉(zhuǎn)基因微生物組合來發(fā)酵聚谷氨酸。由這種材料制成的SAP具有廣泛的應(yīng)用。

 

Algae is another second-generation SAP feedstock just starting to enter the market. Students at the University of Utah in 2017 developed a sanitary towel containing an brown algae-based SAP. The entire product breaks down within weeks to months. SHERO’s product is a good example of how mixing biomaterials can enhance the performance capabilities of personal hygiene products. In their product, the superabsorbent interior is finished with a final outer layer made from corn that traps moisture inside and prevents leakage. The students were targeting the NGO sector and wanted a low-cost product that could be made easily by communities in developing countries. However, the group plan to sell the product in the US to eco-conscious consumers. SHERO’s biobased sanitary towel is a rare example of a high demand product equally placed to serve both social and environmental goals. 

 

藻類是另一種剛剛進入市場的第二代SAP原料。2017年，猶他大學(xué)的學(xué)生開發(fā)了一種含有褐藻SAP的衛(wèi)生巾，整個產(chǎn)品在幾周到幾個月內(nèi)就會分解。SHERO的產(chǎn)品是混合生物材料如何提高個人衛(wèi)生產(chǎn)品性能的一個很好的例子。在他們的產(chǎn)品中，高吸水性芯體是由玉米制成的一層材料包裹而成，它可以吸收液體并防止泄漏。學(xué)生們瞄準(zhǔn)了非政府組織部門，想要一種低成本的產(chǎn)品，可以很容易地在發(fā)展中國家的社區(qū)生產(chǎn)。然而，該集團計劃在美國向有環(huán)保意識的消費者銷售該產(chǎn)品。SHERO的生物基衛(wèi)生巾是一種罕見的高需求產(chǎn)品，同時服務(wù)于社會和環(huán)境目標(biāo)。

 

Bamboo is another candidate for biobased SAP feedstocks which is becoming increasingly popular as a sustainable material. The plant grows back so quickly that cultivated bamboo does not lose much carbon capture potential even if regularly harvested. In 2022, Daye launched an anti-bacterial pad containing a sustainable bamboo absorbent core. It is fully compostable in natural conditions. Like SHERO’s product, its pad combines a biobased SAP with a corn-based material to replace the non-recyclable plastic bodies that make up conventional sanitary items. 

 

竹子是生物基SAP原料的另一個候選材料，作為一種可持續(xù)材料越來越受歡迎。這種植物長得很快，即使定期收獲，栽培的竹子也不會失去太多的碳捕獲潛力。2022年，Daye推出了一款含有可持續(xù)竹材吸收芯的抗菌衛(wèi)生巾。它在自然條件下是完全可堆肥的。像SHERO的產(chǎn)品一樣，它的衛(wèi)生巾結(jié)合了生物基SAP和玉米基材料，以取代用于傳統(tǒng)衛(wèi)生用品的不可回收塑料體。

 

Many more biological substances can be turned into SAPs. Researchers in Advanced Sustainable Systems reported that superabsorbent particles from wheat gluten protein are capable of swelling 4000 % in water and 60% in saline solution, a tenfold performance increase compared to an existing gluten-based materials. It retains as much as 80 percent of the absorbed water, higher than commercial fossil-based SAPs.

 

更多的生物物質(zhì)可以轉(zhuǎn)化為sap。Advanced Sustainable Systems的研究人員報告說，來自小麥面筋蛋白的高吸水性顆粒能夠在水中膨脹4000 %，在鹽水溶液中膨脹60%，與現(xiàn)有的面筋基材料相比，性能提高了10倍。它保留了高達(dá)80%的吸收水分，高于商業(yè)化石基sap。

 

Breakthrough in in scaled chitosan and cellulose-based SAPs would be a huge win for the biobased industry. Chitosan is found in shell waste from the seafood industry and cellulose is the most abundant organic compound in nature. The Indian Institute of technology in Madras has already demonstrated a biodegradable SAP using chitosan from seafood waste and citric acid.[1] In 2022, Indian researchers once again advanced the possibilities for biobased SAP by creating a superabsorbent crosslinked hydrogel using cellulose from water hyacinth. 

 

殼聚糖和纖維素基sap的突破將是生物基工業(yè)的巨大勝利。殼聚糖是在海產(chǎn)業(yè)的貝殼廢料中發(fā)現(xiàn)的，而纖維素是自然界中含量最豐富的有機化合物。位于馬德拉斯的印度理工學(xué)院已經(jīng)展示了一種可生物降解的SAP，它使用了從海鮮廢料和檸檬酸中提取的殼聚糖。[1]2022年，印度研究人員利用水葫蘆中的纖維素制造了一種高吸水性交聯(lián)水凝膠，再次提高了生物基SAP的可能性。

 

 

SAPS are one of the most important consumer chemical classes and are foundational to the global personal hygiene industry. As such, they offer a huge commercial opportunity for bio-enterprises. In 2020, 2.8 million tonnes of SAPs (both biobased and petrochemical) went on the market, with the US and China accounting for 45 percent of global sales in the product. By 2023, total production is expected to go above 3.1 million. The market for biodegradable SAPs is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 8 percent between 2022 and 2030. 

 

SAPS是最重要的消費化學(xué)品類別之一，是全球個人衛(wèi)生用品行業(yè)的基礎(chǔ)材料。因此，它們?yōu)樯锲髽I(yè)提供了巨大的商業(yè)機會。2020年，280萬噸sap(包括生物基和石化)進入市場，其中美國和中國占該產(chǎn)品全球銷量的45%。到2023年，總產(chǎn)量預(yù)計將超過310萬。預(yù)計2022年至2030年期間，可生物降解的sap市場將以8%的復(fù)合年增長率增長。

 

Market prospects are favourable for biobased personal care. Consumers are increasingly sensitive to the environmental impacts of personal care items while the broader biobased polymer market has also been on an upward trajectory. In 2020, for the first time in years, the compound annual growth rate for bio-based polymers was 8 percent, around four points higher than overall growth for polymers. 

 

生物基個人護理產(chǎn)品的市場前景良好。消費者對個人護理用品對環(huán)境的影響越來越敏感，而更廣泛的生物基聚合物市場也一直處于上升趨勢。2020年，生物基聚合物的復(fù)合年增長率多年來首次達(dá)到8%，比聚合物的總體增長率高出約4個百分點。

 

文章來自公眾號：博衛(wèi)傳媒