Bio-based solvent identification and evaluation for use in polyurethane resin binders for the roofing industry

2019冠状病毒病大流行的后遗症将在多年甚至数十年内影响所有行业，但危机过后总有创新的机会，可以改变企业的运营方式，使其更具竞争力。2019冠状病毒病使可持续性成为讨论的焦点。随着气候专家、活动家、政府和下一代对气候变化的兴趣日益浓厚，工业界有责任开发出不仅功能齐全，而且真正可持续的产品，同时在全球市场上保持竞争力。Incorez是全球西卡集团的主要建筑中间体供应商，因此在开发下一代可持续的生物基建筑材料方面处于有利地位，这些材料将在未来得到很好的应用。在这个项目中，英科莱兹寻求确定和采用高性能的生物基溶剂，用于其液体应用膜（LAM）屋顶产品。溶剂通过促进化学反应，溶解和稳定配方，控制粘度以及实现快速平滑的薄膜形成，在树脂制造和产品配方中起着关键作用。目前，在整个工业中使用的溶剂是石油基的，随着英国向生物经济的过渡，必须用生物基替代。英科莱兹与世界领先的化学品制造和分销公司默克公司和英国领先的绿色溶剂咨询公司绿玫瑰化学公司合作，领导一个创新项目，为屋顶行业寻求生物基溶剂。传统的工业方法是采购和测试现有的可用原材料，这会产生高昂的实验室测试成本和较长的产品开发时间，而该项目旨在采取一种新的方法，加速和降低溶剂研究的风险。绿玫瑰化学将应用基于汉森溶解度参数的专业溶剂铅识别软件，挖掘广泛的生物基溶剂数据库，识别具有更高成功商业化可能性的潜在绿色替代品。默克将评估所选溶剂的经济性和可用供应链，确定具有商业可行性的候选溶剂。Incorez将在其产品开发实验室测试最佳前景，并监督生命周期分析以评估其长期可持续性，为将真正可持续的生物基溶剂纳入下一代屋顶产品奠定基础。

The after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will be felt through all industries for many years, if not decades, yet following a crisis there is always an opportunity for innovation that can change the way businesses operate and make them more competitive. COVID-19 has brought sustainability to the forefront of the conversation. With increasing interest from climate experts, activists, governments and the next generation, it is industry's responsibility to respond by developing products that are not only functional, but genuinely sustainable, whilst remaining competitive in the global marketplace.Incorez is a key supplier of construction intermediates to the global Sika Group, and therefore well-positioned to develop the next generation of sustainable, bio-based building materials that will be used well into the future. With this project, Incorez seeks to identify and adopt high-performance bio-based solvents for use in its liquid applied membrane (LAM) roofing products. Solvents serve a critical role in resin manufacture and product formulation by facilitating chemical reactions, dissolving and stabilising formulations, controlling viscosity, and enabling rapid and smooth film formation. The solvents used in LAM products throughout industry are currently petroleum based and must be replaced with bio-based options as the UK transitions to a bio-economy.Incorez has partnered with Merck, a world leader in chemical manufacturing and distribution, and Green Rose Chemistry, the UK's leading green solvents consultancy, to lead an innovative project seeking bio-based solvents for the roofing industry. While the traditional industrial approach is to source and test existing available raw materials, incurring high lab testing costs and long product development times, this project aims to take a new approach that will accelerate and de-risk solvent research. Green Rose Chemistry will apply specialist solvent lead identification software based on the Hansen solubility parameters to mine an extensive database of bio-based solvents, identifying potential greener alternatives that have a much higher probability of successful commercialisation. Merck will assess the economics and available supply chain for the selected solvents, identifying the candidates that are commercially viable. Incorez will test the best prospects in its product development labs and oversee life cycle analysis to evaluate their long-term sustainability, laying the groundwork for incorporation of truly sustainable bio-based solvents in its next-generation roofing products.