System Development/Field Test/ Commercialization

Enzymatic scouring, or BioPreparation™, for the pretreatment of cotton knits, woven yarn, and towels. Uses pectinase to remove pectin and wax from cotton fiber, producing fabrics with instant absorbency for even dyeing. Water savings up to 67%, time savings up to 50%, and energy savings up to 50% compared to traditional pre-treatment. Saves to energy and water by removing the need for separate handling and optimization of wetting agents and emulsifiers. Eliminates harsh chemicals used in traditional scouring, such as strong alkaline & bleaching chemicals.

Biobased (biopolymers & plant-based substances) binder for nonwoven and technical textiles. Binders made with biopolymers from residual streams in the food industry (such as orange peels, shrimp shells, wheat bran) instead of mainly fossil plastic polymers (EVA, acrylates) that are traditionally used in binders. 100% biodegradable, compostable, and non-toxic.

PCA-free poly-reactive range of dyes. Saves water and energy by 50% or more and reduces CO2 emissions to 50% or less during the dyeing and washing-off process. Free of toxic chemicals. Improved productivity, reduced cost, and the highest level of light and wet fastness across the entire shade gamut and color spectrum compared to conventional dyeing. Saves time as the process takes 4 hours while the traditional process takes 7 hours.

PFAS-free and biodegradable textile waterproofing, biobased and readily degradable multi-functional wax, bio-based and readily biodegradable detergent, and biodegradable and fluorocarbon-free industrial DWR products. By combining the natural fatty acids of plants with Nobel Prize-winning chemistry organocatalysis, OrganoClick has created an effective water repellency that is environmentally sustainable and high-performance. 

Probiotic soaping agent for textiles. Does not contain phosphates or alkalis, resulting in fabrics with better depth and color brightness. Decreased water usage due to the need for less wash cycles. Lower effluent parameters (BOD, COD, TDS) by 15 to 20%, even with less water usage. Application flexibility as it can be applied in a wide range of pH and temperatures. Fully biodegradable and isn't enzyme based. Reduces operating cost.
 

Converts agricultural waste products into dyes by using microbes. Reduces water consumption by at least 49%, electricity by 35%, and CO2 emissions by 31% compared to conventional dyeing for cotton. Produced using clean, renewable feedstocks (simple sugars, yeast, plant-byproducts) and waste products from the agricultural industry instead of traditional petrochemicals. No heavy metals/organic solvents are used. 

Non-toxic and biodegradable vegetable-based tanning agent for producing leather. Utilizes tanning agent extracted from olive tree leaves that exists as a by-product of the Mediterranean olive harvest. Reduced emission of CO2 as excess leaves are no longer burned. Free from metals and chemically synthetic reactive tanning agents. Requires neither agricultural land nor food. Reduction of acids, salts, syntans, and dyestuffs compared to traditional tanning methods. 

Large-scale anaerobic biotreatment system. Asarco's biotreatment system consists of a settling basin and two anaerobic bioreactors discharged into a rock filter polishing cell that are followed by a final aeration polishing pond. Heavy metal pollution occurs when excavated rocks or exposed underground mines get into water. The West Fork Biotreatment plant does not require conventional chemicals often associated with sludge formation nor constant human monitoring and frequent sludge disposal.

Water treatment system designed to control corrosion, deposition, and biological fouling without "bleed-off." Significant reduction in water usage compared to conventional methods because this system does not require makeup water in cooling systems. Bleed-off is the process of flushing water with high mineral concentrations down the drain and diluting the system water mineral concentrations with fresh water to prevent precipitation. From current data in Philadelphia, treating 30,000 tons of cooling water with this system saved about 132 million gallons of water.

Three-step process for reverse osmosis that achieves high-rate water extraction within a low-energy continuous process. Water and salt separation is accomplished with a draw solution called Switchable Water Salt (SWS) and heat. This system extracts the greatest amount of water from the most challenging process streams while using the least amount of energy. Reduced greenhouse gases by up to 40% compared to conventional disposal methods. The process also reclaims up to 90% of the freshwater from the waste stream.