Case Study 2

  • Case Sudy 1
    Project: Commercial applications for vegetable oil derived thermosetting 'bioresins'
    Client: Cambridge BioPolymers Ltd.

Project: Bio-derived plasticisers as alternatives to phthalates in the PVC industry

Client: DEFRA

Bioplasticisers

BC is leading a project funded by DEFRA and involving a consortium of industrial partners to develop bio-derived plasticisers as alternatives to phthalates for use in the PVC industry.

As phthalate plasticisers have come under scrutiny from health agencies and NGOs, their safety in use has increasingly been called into question.

In response, a range of new plasticisers is being developed from erucic acid, a naturally occurring fatty acid produced by the industrial crop, crambe. These new plasticisers are being shown to have plasticiser properties equivalent to those of phthalates but without the perceived associated health and safety risks.