System Development/Field Test/ Commercialization

Chempol® MPS paint formulations using biobased Sefose® oils. Chempol® MPS is a Sefose®-based alkyd resin technology that enables paint and coating formulation with less than half the VOCs of traditional alkyd paints and coatings. Sefose® oils are made from sugar and vegetable oil and serve as a viable alternative to petroleum-based solvents. They enable new high-performance alkyd paints with less than half the solvent. Using less hazardous solvents in paint improves worker safety, reduces indoor fumes, and improves air quality.

Alkyd paint from recycled plastic bottles (PET), acrylics, and soybean oil with low concentrations of VOCs. Traditional alkyd paints are made with a solvent-borne coating and constituents of the petroleum industry. PET is incorporated in a polymeric alkyd-acrylic dispersion (LAAD), which gives the paint more rigidity, hardness, and hydrolytic resistance. Acrylic decreases the drying time and increases durability. Soybean oil stimulates film formation and improves floss, flexibility, and paint cure.

Chrome plating with trivalent chromium. Conventional chrome plating uses hexavalent chromium. Hexavalent chromium is the most toxic form of chromium due to its carcinogenic properties. This technology uses trivalent chromium, which is much less toxic and non-carcinogenic. This company uses a new electrodeposition process alternating between a cathodic pulse followed by an anodic pulse and a relaxation period. This process allows for thicker coatings of trivalent chromium and allows the structure and properties of the coating to be adjusted.

Sustainable and energy efficient building materials. These builing materials capture carbon dioxide and replenish farmland. The industrial hemp used in these products are grown sustainably and manufacture into insulation materials with renewable energy. Hemp growth offsets 9.8 tons of carbon dioxide per acre. HempWool® has no VOCs and toxins and is safe to touch. Other products include Hempcrete, Hemp and Lime Blocks, and AcoustiBatts.

Highly magnetic materials for enzyme immobilization. Enzyme immobilization can improve enzyme stability and enable enzyme recycling. This company uses a highly magnetic matrix that protects the enzymes from degradation and denaturation, allowing them to function in more extreme temperatures and pHs. The immobilized enzymes are also optimized to reach full activity and high loadings. The magnetic matrix allows the enzymes to easily and quickly recover with a simple magnet. This technology allows for cost-effective, industrial biocatalysis with better activity, results, and productivity.

Custom techniques for manufacturing products. By utilizing custom techniques for their products, Novasep is able to make their processes more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly by enabling synthesis through shorter routes with improved purity and yield. This also allows for solvent recycling, which lowers costs and reduces consumption.

Custom-designed industrial enzymes. Zymvol® designs custom enzymes for applications in pharmaceutical, chemical, and biotech industries using Zymvol® Biomodeling SL. Zymvol® Biomodeling SL uses cloud-based computer simulations to improve the performance of enzymes to meet precise industrial requirements. Silico evolution technology is used to accelerate protein optimization and reduce costs. Tailoring enzymes through simulations reduces reagent waste. Biocatalysts also contribute to efficient resource use of energy, water, and manufacturing inputs as well as reduce gas emissions.

First-generation surface display technology for better performing enzymes. This technology allows enzymes to be displayed on the outer membrane of bacteria, generating faster results in the screening of binding partners, inhibitors, and optimized enzymes. This technology makes the purification of enzymes simpler and cheaper as it only requires centrifugation and filtration. 

Bioprocesses for chemical manufacturing. The Biochemize (P2B) technological platform is a more profitable, non-hazardous, and low-waste alternative to synthetic chemical manufacturing processes. Bioprocesses are highly selective and efficient. Enzymes used in bioprocesses are efficient and can be reused several times, reducing waste. Bioprocesses also reduce energy usage by enabling reactions to occur in mild or moderate conditions. Reagents and reaction conditions in bioprocessing are also less dangerous.