Synthomer today announces a new Prosperity Partnership with the University of York to pioneer its next generation of bio-based polymers, aiming to drive the decarbonisation and defossilisation of the chemical industry.
The three-year project brings together experts from industry and academia to undertake new research and has been made possible by funding from Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Synthomer and the University of York, with a combined value of £2m.
Prosperity Partnerships are business-led research partnerships between leading UK-based businesses and their long-term strategic university partners to focus on relevant industrial outcomes.
Synthomer has a long-standing relationship with the University of York. Previous joint research has led to key developments within bio-based monomers and polymer additives. This project will build upon this progress, with a focus on developing bio-based polymers from non-food competing feedstocks.
Robin Harrison, Vice President of Technology Platforms and External Innovation at Synthomer, comments:
“This project embodies our strategic focus on innovation and sustainability, and our investment in long-term R&D as a key driver of our sustainability commitment.
“Bringing together our expertise and leadership in speciality sustainable polymers with the University of York’s world-leading authority in sustainable polymer research, this partnership aims to bring sustainable bio-based alternatives to our markets.”
Professor Helen Sneddon, Head of Green and Sustainable Chemistry at the University of York, comments:
“We're delighted to be building on our existing collaborations with Synthomer on the challenge of Bio-based Monomers for a Defossilised Speciality Polymer Industry.
“Whilst bulk plastics have garnered much media focus in recent times, there is a critical need for a versatile platform of high quality, reproducible, bio-derived monomers, with differentiated properties, formed from reliable sources of biomass (and/or CO2), on a scale of 100’s-1000’s of tonnes per annum that does not compete with food.
“Our ambition for this project is to co-deliver, after three years, a platform of bio-derived, lower carbon footprint monomers, to help Synthomer meet their 2050 net zero target, and help train the next generation of synthetic and polymer chemists in aspects of Green Chemistry needed by future industry.”
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About decarbonisation and defossilisation
In the context of the chemical industry, ‘decarbonisation’ refers to reducing emissions through measures such as electrification and improving the efficiency of energy-intensive activities. The chemical sector cannot fully decarbonise, as it requires carbon as an essential element to produce certain key chemical formulations. ‘Defossilisation’ refers to replacing feedstocks derived from fossil fuels with alternative, non-fossil fuel-based sources of carbon.
About Synthomer plc
Synthomer plc is a leading supplier of high-performance, highly specialised polymers and ingredients that play vital roles in key sectors such as coatings, construction, adhesives, and health and protection – growing markets that serve billions of end users worldwide. Headquartered in London, UK and listed there since 1971, we employ c.4,000 employees across our five innovation centres of excellence and more than 30 manufacturing sites across Europe, North America and Asia.
Our purpose is creating innovative and sustainable solutions for the benefit of customers and society. Around 20% of our sales volumes are from new and patent protected products. At our innovation centres of excellence in the UK, China, Germany, Malaysia and USA we collaborate closely with our customers to develop new products and enhance existing ones tailored to their needs, with an increasing range of sustainability benefits.
Our 2030 decarbonisation targets have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative as being in line with what the latest climate science says is necessary to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, and since 2021 we have held the London Stock Exchange Green Economy Mark, which recognises green technology businesses making a significant contribution to a more sustainable, low-carbon economy. Find us at www.synthomer.com or search for Synthomer on LinkedIn.