MicroGREEN Polymers, Inc. Secures a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Grant from National Science Foundation

Grant awarded for the scaling up of production to continuously produce multilayered boards out of InCycle® sheet for rigid printing substrate and construction applications 

SEATTLE, September 21, 2011 – MicroGREEN Polymers, Inc., the maker of InCycle® sheet, today announced it was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Phase II SBIR grant in the amount of $499,941 to scale up production of multilayered boards constructed from InCycle sheet to be sold for numerous applications including: commercial large-format and wide-format rigid printing substrate applications, three dimensional flat sheet applications for trade show booths and point-of-purchase displays, and construction applications, such as, FEMA emergency shelters and  structural insulated panels (SIP) for LEED-certified buildings.  

With Dr. Xiaoxi Wang as the Principal Investigator, the proposed approach is to fusion bond InCycle sheets into thicker boards, thereby eliminating the need for a bonding adhesive, which in turn eliminates volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions that cause indoor air pollution.  In Phase I of this project, MicroGREEN Polymers established lab-scale feasibility for continuous fusion bonding of InCycle sheets to produce such boards.  In Phase II, the company will build a prototype of a production-scale laminator that is capable of producing the recyclable 4’ x 8’ boards for commercialization.   

“Our continued expansion across industries and product forms is another example of our focus on market need identification and research, and the subsequent commercialization of products from that research,” said Tom Malone, CEO of MicroGREEN Polymers. 

The broader impact and commercial potential of this project will come from numerous industries, with the initial focus being to satisfy the printing industry’s rapidly growing need for recyclable large-format and wide-format rigid printing boards, as well as, meeting the needs of construction companies looking for materials that help them achieve LEED certification levels.  Compared to current materials, the advantages of these extremely lightweight boards include significantly higher post-consumer recycled (PCR) content of PET, zero VOCs, premium printability without the need for surface treatment, enhanced barrier properties against mold/mildew/corrosion, high insulation and compatibility with end-of-life recycling in the existing PET recycling stream. 

About MicroGREEN Polymers, Inc. MicroGREEN Polymers is a privately held enterprise founded in September 2002 to commercialize its patented solid-state microcellular expansion technology called Ad-air®, which significantly reduces the financial and ecological costs of many plastic products. It is applied to plastics in print and signage, food and beverage packaging, general packaging, transportation, building materials, appliances and consumer electronics industries. MicroGREEN Polymers uses its Ad-air technology to create InCycle sheet, a low-source, recyclable, bright white, printable plastic sheet stock made from recycled water bottles (PET). MicroGREEN Polymers is headquartered in a 40,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Arlington, Washington. To learn more, please visit www.microgreeninc.com.  

Contact Information

Chris Jacobs

Director of Marketing

MicroGREEN Polymers

press@microgreeninc.com