The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Zzyzx Polymers, Allentown, Pennsylvania, a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant for $737,000. Zzyzx says the grant will support research and development efforts on the company’s plastic polymers manufacturing process.

“We are grateful to the National Science Foundation for their support of this project, and we look forward to bringing our technology to the plastics market,” says Mike Janse, CEO of Zzyzx.

Zzyzx Polymers says the SBIR Phase II project will demonstrate the first commercial-scale processing of postconsumer plastic materials for what it calls “high-value applications” using an approach known as continuous mechanochemical compatibilization (CMC).

The Zzyzx Polymers project will use CMC to recycle materials without extensive cleaning or sorting. This process would reduce processing steps and return the value to the materials in a cost-competitive and significant way, says Zzyzx.

Additionally, Zzyzx Polymers was recently accepted into the business incubation program at the Bridgeworks Enterprise Center, a program of the Allentown (Pennsylvania) Economic Development Corp.

The company has begun setting up its manufacturing equipment in the incubator with the intention of starting prototype plastic resins production by the end of September 2014. Zzyzx Polymers also has been selected to receive an investment by Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

“The support provided by Bridgeworks and Ben Franklin Technology Partners were key to helping us obtain this grant,” says Mark Tapsak, one of Zzyzx’s cofounders. “The comments we received back from the NSF specifically pointed out that they were impressed with the support from the commonwealth and with the great startup ecosystem in the Lehigh Valley (of Pennsylvania).”

“The SBIR grant will allow the Zzyzx management team to accelerate the process of launching and growing the company,” says Scott Unger, executive director for AEDC. “Ultimately, that means the company is able to create jobs and reach profitability faster than they planned to. We are very excited to see them be awarded this grant.”