Page 189 - CW E-Magazine (19-12-2023)

Special Report Special Report

PERFECOAT PROJECT

Painting a bio-based future with microbially produced

alginates, lipids and pigments

he overarching objective of the (non-yellowing), as well as drying and
PERFECOAT project is to deve- curing time.
Tlop novel sustainable coatings
that will ultimately be available to the To evaluate different alternatives,
public. Within this, the project will the PERFECOAT partners examined
pursue a number of specifi c objectives. and generated various bio-based binder
samples of, e.g., modifi ed alginates Fungi-based pigment dried and grounded
From an environmental perspective, (SINTEF), xanthan (Technical Univer- (Source: Chromologics)
the project will contribute to reducing sity Munich), and xylan (Celignis) de-
Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions by rived from different biomass resources
developing new industrial bio-based like agricultural residues, e.g., poplar
coatings for wood with more than 25% wood, beech wood, wheat straw, and Production of bio-based binders in reactor
of bio-based components produced a smooth transition from fossil to sus- late cut grass. (Source: Sintef)
from climate neutral sources and tainable products, the industry is in At this project stage, xylan, micro- logics Aps, proved to be ahead of the
processes. desperate need for high performance All alginate samples showed a high bial alginates, oils and microbial lipids game and developed and patented inno-
bio-based solutions especially for bio- solubility in water, but also good fi lm- show the most promising results as vative new pigments. Water-soluble
From an economic perspective, it polymers and lipids, binders, fi llers, forming properties. Microorganisms binder components and are steadily dye is produced by combining atrorosin
will help to prepare the coating market pigments and additives like functional transform the feedstock into alginate, tested with regard to their yield, feasibi- using maltodextrin as a binder, while
for new formulations that will be of at nanomaterials. These major compo- lipids, and terpenes, while xylan and lity and use in formulations. pigments are produced by complexation
least equal performance than existing nent groups combined account for chitin are directly extracted from bio- with aluminium supplemented with
fossil-based products. nearly 70% of the ingredients (Ameri- mass residues. For the xylan recovery, An additional path involves the magnesium.
can Coatings Association, 2023). In the PERFECOAT team favours an ap- functionalisation of exo-polysaccha-
From a social perspective, the pro- the fi rst two years of examination, proach that combines enzyme treat- rides and other biopolymer and lipid- Initial results look promising in
ject will demonstrate the potential for the EU funded research project PER- ment and chemical extraction. This based compounds into new, bio-based terms of yield, colour and perfor-
creating new job opportunities in the FECOAT successfully developed inno- process leads to pure xylan, with little binders. With a focus on UV-curable mance, with impressive results for the
bio-based sector in rural and coastal vative bio-based solutions, from bio- or no side chains. binder compounds, the team success- aluminium variant for paints and coat- Production of fungi-based pigments
areas, where urban migration remains waste and agricultural residues. These fully developed a microbial terpene ings. The team further identifi ed great (Source: Chromologics)
a challenge. will be tested in the formulation of Further tests focused on the extrac- production route, examining the ter- potential for the production of red and tant paint component. Developing fi llers
three use-cases: UV-curable clear tion of chitosan from Dublin Bay prawn penes limonene, pinene, and sabinene orange pigments from the fungus Talaro- from microbial biomass therefore
In addition, the project will enhance coatings for wood; water-borne trim shells. This process requires deminerali- produced by engineered strains of the myces atroroseus. Alternative strate- shows impactful prospects for the bio-
European leadership in the biotechno- paints for DIY; and water-borne wall sation, deproteinization and decolou- yeast Yarrowia lipolytica. The chemi- gies for carotenoids used the yeasts based industries. Here, micro-fi brillated
logy sector and strengthen the EU’s paints. ration of the prawn shells, while an cal character and reactivity of these R. toruloides and Y. lipolytica, which also cellulose (MFC), also known as Exilva,
leadership in adopting renewables. alkali treatment is converting chitin compounds render them interesting allow the extraction of the violet pig- developed by PERFECOAT partner,
From alginate, xylan, chitosan to into chitosan. with respect to this specifi c use case. ment, violacein. Violacein is a naturally Borregaard, showed great product
INTRODUCTION yeast – a colourful buffet of bio- To functionalise them into UV-curable occurring anticancer therapeutic com- performance. Exilva is an insoluble
The European paints and coatings based binders The team also investigated the con- binders, the researchers use bio- and/or pound with a deep purple colour. The MFC consisting of an entanglement
market is projected to grow from Being one of the largest ingredient version of poly-unsaturated microbial chemo-catalysis. intermediates of the violacein biosyn- of cellulose fi bres, which can interact
US$37.2-bn in 2023 to US$41.6-bn groups, binders represent one of the lipids into binders. Here, unconven- thetic pathway also show other colours both physically through their extreme
by 2028 (Markets and Markets, 2023). main challenges in paint formula- tional yeasts Rhodutorula toruloides Innovative natural pigments pro- such as green from prodeoxyviolacein surface area and chemically through
While a majority of currently used tions. Not only do they defi ne the paint and Yarrowia lipolytica convert and duced from yeast and fungi or pink from deoxyviolacein. hydrogen bonding. Its rheological and
ingredients are fossil-based, pros- texture and maintain the grip between modify the poly-unsaturated oils and The PERFECOAT project set the mechanical functionalities, as an addi-
pects show an increasing demand for pigments and application surface, fatty acids into bio-based binders for goal to develop and produce at least Protecting properties through func- tive, impart a unique combination of
sustainable paints and coatings, es- they more so determine the decorative UV-curing applications. Both yeasts two different formulations for red pig- tional nano materials and fi llers properties in fi nished product systems.
pecially in the professional and DIY and functional paint characteristics were able to provide biomass with a ments and dyes as well as other colours. Constituting between 10-40% of the
(Do it yourself) industries. To enable like clarity, fl exibility, UV resistance lipid content of > 50% and > 20%. Here, Danish project partner, Chromo- paint ingredients, fi llers are an impor- To enhance and add different

188 Chemical Weekly December 19, 2023 Chemical Weekly December 19, 2023 189

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