BioEpoxy: Epoxy Resins with Low Biological Impact
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | AKZO NOBEL INDUSTRIAL COATINGS AKTIEBOLAG |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 500 000 |
| Project duration | January 2015 - August 2015 |
| Status | Completed |
| Venture | Challenge-Driven Innovation – Stage 1 initiation |
Purpose and goal
The challenge is to develop alternatives to today´s epoxy resins that show good material properties, no hormonal effects and decreased allergenic effects. The aim is to improve public health by decreasing hormonal effects in consumers with daily contact with food containers, and improving working conditions by lower incidences of skin allergy among workers exposed to epoxy resins in water pipe relining and construction work. A strong consortium with the necessary competences has been built and a new epoxy resin monomer with interesting properties has been identified.
Results and expected effects
Within the BioEpoxy project we have developed a unique strategy which allows us to get to the root with problems that are associated with today´s epoxy resin systems. Using the ´Safe-by-Design´ strategy, structure-activity relationships have been coupled to skin allergy and hormonal effects. The developed compounds have a potential to become important innovations and can provide Swedish industry with opportunities to get significant market shares due to increased demands from authorities regarding public health and environmental issues.
Approach and implementation
Each member of the consortium contributes to the project with their specific competence. Additional actors will be identified and incorporated in the consortium. During Stage 2 we will identify and test several alternatives of monomers as it is not realistic to expect that today´s epoxy resin systems can be replaced by only one new type of polymer. Instead we consider the ´Safe-by-Design´ strategy as an efficient approach to develop novel monomers with different technical properties useful for different applications.