Econic Technologies was born from a vision where catalyst chemistry is used to turn waste CO2 into positive economic and environmental potential. Incorporating waste CO2 as a feedstock using our innovative catalyst technologies reduces the reliance on expensive fossil fuels, turning scientific research into business advantage while delivering environmental gain for the benefit of all.
This vision was crystallised by Professor Charlotte Williams, then at Imperial College London, and now Professor of Inorganic Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Oxford. It was supported by investment from IP Group plc, then Imperial Innovations, and Norner Verdandi.
Much progress has been made since then.
Econic’s catalyst technologies have been patented, validated in pilot operations and continue to secure additional investment.
A talented team of scientists, engineers and commercial managers now conduct their cutting-edge work in a state-of-the-art facility at Alderley Park, the internationally renowned science hub south of Manchester.
All of our efforts are intently focused on the future. A future where waste CO2, a damaging greenhouse gas, is turned into commercial and environmental gain. A future that starts now.
HOW IT WORKS
The ever-increasing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere are a pressing imperative for scientists and engineers to develop technologies capable of mitigating its harmful effects. Turning this waste CO2 into something useful for people and planet is our mission at Econic.
One of the key challenges scientists face is how to overcome the inherent stability of CO2, the property that leads to its long atmospheric lifetime and increasing global temperatures. Most often, large amounts of energy, in the form of heat or electricity, are needed to transform CO2 into other useful chemicals. At Econic, we develop catalyst technologies that significantly reduce the energy required for these reactions to occur allowing CO2 to be turned into polymers for use in creating everyday plastics.
ECONIC CATALYST TECHNOLOGY
Our catalyst technologies react CO2 with a group of chemicals called epoxides – traditional building blocks in the polymer industry – to make polymers that can contain up to 50% by weight of CO2. Econic’s first success was to build CO2 into a range of short-chain polymers called polyols, which are used predominantly in the polyurethane industry.
THE ECONIC VALUE CHAIN
ECONIC TECHNOLOGIES
Providers of innovative catalyst technologies that incorporate CO2 into polyols for use in the PU industry
- ECONOMIC POTENTIAL: Low pressure polymerisation (+ retrofit to existing assets, - ROI within two years.)
- PRODUCT POTENTIAL: Tunable CO2 content for bespoke performance characteristics.
- ENVIRONMENTAL POTENTIAL: Utilisation of harmful CO2 waste + reduced CO2 emissions.
POLYOL MANUFACTURERS
Econic’s catalyst technologies allow polyols to be manufactured using bespoke amounts of CO2
- ECONOMIC POTENTIAL: Up to 50% waste CO2 used to replace fossil fuel-based feedstock.
- PRODUCT POTENTIAL: Polyol viscosity tailored to match needs of downstream applications.
- ENVIRONMENTAL POTENTIAL: Creating value from waste CO2 + potential to reduce CO2 emissions.
PU INDUSTRY
Polyols manufactured using Econic's catalyst technologies offer the potential for enhanced PU products including:
- RIGID FOAMS
- FLEXIBLE FOAMS
- COATINGS
- ELASTOMERS
- SEALANTS
- ADHESIVES
TURNING WASTE CO2 INTO SOMETHING OF REAL POTENTIAL VALUE HAS BEEN ACHIEVED IN TWO MAJOR PHASES:
ALTERNATING CATALYST TECHNOLOGY
First, we developed our Alternating catalyst technology to enable customers to produce polyols with the maximum possible CO2 content. These polyols have excellent properties for some high-performance applications, but their higher viscosity than their traditional fossil fuel-based counterparts limits their use in other areas.
TUNABLE CATALYST TECHNOLOGY
Turning this limitation into another opportunity, we developed our Tunable catalyst technology, which enables customers to tailor the amount of CO2 incorporated into their polyols according to the performance requirements of a much wider range of applications.
Both catalyst technologies are unique in their ability to operate efficiently under pressures low enough to be used in existing polymer manufacturing plants without the formation of significant by-products.
TURNING CO2 INTO ENDLESS POTENTIAL
Econic’s growing patent portfolio protects our catalyst technologies worldwide and includes more than 20 granted successfully to-date. Our scientists are currently working in our laboratories and with global partners to extend the applications of our technology to other market areas, such as packaging, where longer chain polymers are necessary.
ECONOMIC POTENTIAL
Production costs of everyday plastics from petrochemicals are overwhelmingly dominated by raw materials. Typically, these raw material costs account for 80% or more of the total cost. Econic’s Tunable catalyst technologies offer a clean-tech alternative, liberating manufacturers from their reliance on expensive petrochemicals while enabling them to make good use of waste CO2.
Using one of our catalyst technologies means that up to 50% of the necessary fossil fuel-based raw materials can be substituted with CO2 in the manufacture of polyols.
THE USE OF ECONIC CATALYST TECHNOLOGIES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF POLYOLS MEANS THAT:
- Up to 50% of existing, expensive fossil fuel-based raw materials can be replaced by waste, or readily available CO2. (Saving example: $1500-2000/ton for petrochemical raw materials versus $5-50/ton for CO2).
- It is cost-effective and relatively easy to retrofit the enhanced manufacturing capabilities onto existing plants, which means low capital cost of entry to this new, clean technology. (Example: Cost to retrofit a 20 kte polyol plant would have a payback term of less than two years).
- Enhanced product performance enables our customers to target higher value applications with reduced manufacturing costs improving available margin potential.
- 30% market penetration of our catalyst systems would create more than $1Bn in potential value for polyol producers.
- Opportunities for carbon trading further boost economic potential.
ENVIRONMENTAL POTENTIAL
Protecting our planet and preserving its resources for future generations is a high priority and a particular challenge for industry. Carbon Capture and Utilisation offers real potential to make progress. Econic’s clean-tech catalyst technologies unlock that potential, turning CO2 into a useful raw material for plastics instead of it being released as a harmful waste gas.
Using our catalyst technologies, CO2 can be locked into the polymer chain alongside conventional raw materials. Taking polyol manufacture as an example, CO2 could form up to 50% of the constituent ingredients. And for every ton of CO2 utilised, a further two tons of CO2 can be saved by avoiding the manufacture of more petrochemical feedstocks.
Econic catalyst technologies are energy-efficient to use, and operate under mild conditions. So even less demand on scarce fossil fuels. Turning harmful CO2 into something meaningful for our planet is an exciting prospect.
THE USE OF ECONIC CATALYST TECHNOLOGIES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF POLYOLS MEANS THAT:
- 30% market adoption by 2026 would mean around 3.5M tons/annum fewer CO2 emissions - equivalent to taking more than 2M cars off the road every year.
- More CO2 could be deployed into everyday products, turning waste into potential and avoiding harmful emissions in the process.
- More CO2 saved as a result of a reduced reliance on fossil fuel-based raw materials, which themselves generate CO2 in their production.
- Turning CO2 into products that last longer and perform better and reduce their carbon footprint on the planet.
PRODUCT POTENTIAL
Imagine turning waste CO2 into powerful product performance benefits. Imagine the conversations and the potential that could create. It’s just one of the good reasons for choosing to include Econic’s clean-tech catalyst technologies into the manufacture of plastics – polyurethanes in particular. These clever catalyst technologies enable up to 50% by weight CO2 to be incorporated as a raw material into the manufacture of polyols, the base of all polyurethanes.
And polyurethanes made with CO2-based polyols can be tailored to a wide range of everyday items including soft furnishings, insulation and structural foams, clothing, shoes, adhesives and protective coatings that simply perform better. In fact, Econic’s catalyst technologies are unique in being the only means of incorporating tailored amounts of CO2 into polyols to meet our customers’ requirements for material properties, such as viscosity.
USING ECONIC’S CLEAN-TECH CATALYST TECHNOLOGIES MEANS THE RESULTANT PU-BASED PRODUCTS OFFER:
- Good rigidity, enabling lighter-weight PU foam products thanks to reduced material demands for the same strength.
- Improved chemical resistance, protecting PU elastomers and coated products from the harmful effects of chemical attack.
- Enhanced flame retardance, to better protect the buildings that use PU rigid foam insulation.
- Increased abrasion resistance, ideal for use in PU coatings that protect metal, wood and other surfaces from scratching.
- Better resistance to temperature changes, so coatings last longer and the time required between re-painting is extended.
- Good hydrolysis resistance, giving coated surfaces better protection against weathering and water damage.
Source: Econic Technologies
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