From paint to detergents: Heriot-Watt and Impact Solutions partner to turn everyday products eco

Heriot-Watt is proud to announce a new Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Impact Solutions that promises to transform biodegradation testing for polymers in liquid formulations (PLFs).

PLFs are specialty polymers used in countless everyday products, from shampoos and detergents to paints and adhesives. They give these products their unique properties, like making shampoo lather, paint spread smoothly, or detergents clean effectively. Worth over £100 billion annually to the global economy, PLFs are essential but face increasing environmental scrutiny, making the development of biodegradable alternatives a critical step towards sustainability.

Through this new collaboration experts based at Heriot-Watt’s Continuum Flow Lab (a leader in chemical and materials research) will help Impact Solutions to develop advanced methodologies that will significantly reduce the time required for biodegradation testing, from months or years to mere hours. This innovation has the potential to accelerate the development of sustainable, biodegradable polymers, paving the way for a circular economy and reinforcing Scotland's leadership in environmental innovation.

Addressing a key industry challenge

Found in products used in domestic households and industrial applications, PLFs face increasing regulatory and environmental scrutiny. While biodegradable alternatives are vital for sustainability, current certification tests for biodegradability are slow and unsuitable for polymeric substances, creating a bottleneck in innovation.

This KTP seeks to overcome this hurdle through a revolutionary accelerated biodegradation test. By integrating enzyme immobilisation with flow chemistry and cutting-edge data analytics, the team aims to create a system that not only reduces testing times but also provides continuous, real-time results.

Professor Christos Goussetis, Associate Executive Dean for Enterprise & Entrepreneurship at Heriot-Watt commented;

“Our vision is to combine scientific rigour with industrial applicability to develop a testing process that will revolutionise how biodegradability is assessed. This collaboration exemplifies the power of academia and industry working together to tackle pressing global challenges.”

Driving innovation and impact

The project will deliver United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS)-accredited, high-speed biodegradation tests, allowing manufacturers to quickly assess new PLF formulations. It will also create a unique enzyme library to speed up biodegradation and use continuous-flow technology to accurately identify breakdown products.

Collaborative Expertise at the Core

The project benefits from an interdisciplinary team of experts. Key researchers include Dr Sam Patterson and Dr Trevor Hinchcliffe from Impact Solutions, alongside Dr Humphrey Yiu and Dr Filipe Vilela from Heriot-Watt University. Dr Nick Johnson, the project’s KTP Associate, plays a crucial role in bridging academic insight with industrial application.

Impact Solutions, an independent laboratory renowned for sustainable innovations, brings extensive technical expertise and a proven track record in delivering cutting-edge solutions. Based in central Scotland, the organisation is fully accredited by UKAS and ISO 17025, making it an ideal partner for this forward-thinking initiative.

Shaping a greener future together

This partnership exemplifies Heriot-Watt University’s commitment to addressing global sustainability challenges through impactful research and collaboration. By advancing biodegradation technology, Heriot-Watt and Impact Solutions are poised to accelerate the transition to environmentally-friendly materials, bolstering the circular economy and driving a greener future.

Anyone interested in unlocking the value of knowledge exchange working collaboratively with Heriot-Watt University should get in touch with the dedicated Global Research Innovation and Discovery (GRID) team via GRID@hw.ac.uk.