Cambond bioresin takes centre stage in £7.3m green chemistry project
Innovate UK EDGE is supporting Cambond to obtain a £7.3m UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) grant for its green chemistry industry BONDIFI project.
BONDIFI is an initiative to reduce the carbon footprint in multiple industries through a circular economy system. The project, which starts in September, will prime the future expansion and growth of an innovative sustainable chemistry industry, combining low-carbon manufacturing processes with a sustainable technology base to embed bioresin technology within manufacturing facilities across the UK.
With Cambond’s technology, BONDIFI will create a productive symbiosis between chemical, metals and paper industries and manufacturing, reducing carbon and delivering sustainable products.
The funding has been won in the competition for the Transforming Foundation Industries Challenge – Demonstrators awarded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
BONDIFI will deliver a partnership between the UK brewing, foundry, panel and chemical industries to scale manufacture of sustainable resins and introduce them into the processes of making furniture, construction panels and casting metal.
Resins are critically important chemicals in many manufacturing industries. However, their oil-based and energy intensive manufacture requirements mean products containing resins have a large carbon footprint.
Cambond has invented a plant-based resin system using by-products from the world’s oldest industry – brewing.
Dr Gareth Roberts, project director at Cambond, said: “This is a very ambitious project to deliver a commercially viable circular economy system, by linking UK entrepreneurship, manufacturing innovation and scientific expertise to existing UK brewing industry excellence.”
He added: “What usually happens with chipboard and plywood is you get bits of wood, which are broken and stuck back together with oil-based glue.
“From a sustainability point of view it’s very carbon-intensive: half of the production’s carbon footprint is from that glue, so we use a plant-based glue using by-products from the brewery industry, including from Greene King. It’s a similar cost but a much lower carbon footprint and is sustainable.
“This helps towards developing carbon-neutral housing which is very much on agenda. Previously we were never able to build the whole chain of stakeholders you need. Now Innovate UK has accepted the argument of building whole chain in one go – otherwise you can’t get the conversion to environmental sustainability in the sector off the ground.
“The project means our staff count will go up from four to 14, which is a substantial expansion.”
Prof Xiaobin Zhao, Cambond CEO, said: “Each partner alone cannot deliver the change needed to decarbonise and transform UK industries. BONDIFI will catalyse change and open the way to massive carbon reductions in manufacturing.”
UKRI works with the UK government to invest more than £7bn a year in research and innovation by partnering with academia and industry “to make the impossible, possible”.
