The first green, non-toxic antifouling agent for sealants, coatings and paints to transform the construction and marine industries
The vision of the ZABIO consortium is to transform the antifouling paint and coating industries by providing the first green, non-toxic antifouling agent, manufactured renewably on large scale in a cost-effective production process.
Across many huge industries, like construction, marine and agriculture, toxic biocides are used as antifouling agents to prevent micro- and macro-organism damaging surfaces. However such antifouling agents pose large environmental and societal burdens as they pollute the environment, harm ecosystems, are produced by fossil-based chemical synthesis or heavy metal extraction, and are hazardous to the health of workers, consumers and the public. Increased regulations and legislations regarding banning and lowering use of toxic antifouling agents is pushing industries to seek for green alternatives. However, no safe, eco-friendly and cost-competitive antifouling agents are currently available that meet the functional requirements to prevent attachment of organisms…until now.
ZABIO consortium aims to substantially limit environmental and occupational hazards and improve sustainability of the target industries by bringing to market a fully biobased, but effective and affordable alternative to current toxic, polluting and hazardous antifouling chemicals. Cysbio has developed a proprietary cell-based manufacturing system for renewable production of sulfated compounds, of interest is the bio-based antifouling agent, which enables a green and safe antifouling agent that is commercially viable for the first time. Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant is upscaling the production of the bio-based agent and Henkel, a large multinational chemical and consumer goods company is performing application test.
ACTIVITIES of the Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant
BBEPP will scale up the production of the biobased antifouling agent for use in antifouling end-products.
PARTNERS
- Cysbio, DK
- Henkel KGaA, DE
- Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant, BE
SUPPORTED by:
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research innovation programme under Grant Agreement number: 958730.
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