Polymer Mimetics update us on their progress one year on
On Friday 25th June, we celebrated the one-year anniversary of Polymer Mimetics; our joint venture with the University of Liverpool researching degradable polymers.
We recently caught up with Paul and Rheanna who updated us on their progress:
We are based in Liverpool city centre at the Liverpool Science Park. Our small research and development team are developing core technology, originating from the University of Liverpool, with the aim to create biodegradable polymers that can be used in Scott Bader products to significantly improve their sustainability. As well as degradability, this facile method of synthesising materials with complex structures will vastly increase the library of materials that Scott Bader has to offer and we are working alongside the Functional Polymers team to innovate with specific applications in mind. This work is further aided by our close proximity to state-of-the-art facilities and expertise at the University.
As a team, we are really pleased with the progress we’ve made during our first year. Our key highlights are:
- The successful synthesis of biodegradable materials using this new technology, part-funded by an Innovate UK Smart Award grant. With biodegradability being such a sought-after property in the development of new polymeric materials, this significant success gives us a really exciting platform to build upon. Now that we know the basic information on how to produce the materials, which passed OECD ‘ready biodegradability’ tests, they can be expertly tailored to suit various applications for our customers and potentially replace non-biodegradable materials that are currently in use.
- The application of our bespoke materials as accelerators in a Scott Bader Crystic resin system, allowing fast cure with lower toxicity than standard formulations, and therefore reducing environmental impact.
Going forward, the future is very promising with more projects in the pipeline including investigation into recyclable polymers and developing new, sustainable materials for 3D printing.
We are also looking to grow further with the expansion of our facilities towards the end of the year.
It’s great to hear from Paul and Rheanna on their very encouraging progress over the past year. We look forward to catching up again soon!
