New catalysts for the production of bio-based and degradable plastics: KTA018

Professor Matthew Davidson and the Centre for Sustainable
Chemical Technologies at Bath have been working with
environmentally-benign titanium and zirconium catalysts for
about a decade. They were approached by Purac, partly on the
basis of their deep knowledge of such catalysts and their use in
polymerisation reactions, but also their experience and
willingness to work with industrial partners to transfer lab-based
processes to the industrial scale. In addition, Bath’s catalysts are
stereospecific, enabling the production of polymers with specific,
enhanced mechanical and thermal properties.