Towards safer plastic coatings for the circular economy
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely used for their durability and resistance to heat, stains and water. However, their potential toxicity has raised serious concerns. In response, TORNADO is developing water- and oil-repellent coatings that align with the European Green Deal and circular economy principles, ensuring safety without compromising performance. The project brings together partners from France, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Türkiye, aiming to strengthen Europe’s manufacturing sector. Project coordinator Raquel Rodríguez, senior researcher/project manager at the TECNALIA Research & Innovation Foundation in Spain, explains: “We need to develop new bio-based coatings to be in line with the circular economy. And to involve European companies in developing their own coatings to improve industrial capacity.”
Innovation and progress
At the centre of TORNADO is the development of biomonomers, the building blocks of new coatings. These will be used to create water-based acrylic polymer coatings and sol-gel (liquid to solid) hybrid coatings, targeting applications in packaging, textiles and kitchenware. A key challenge has been achieving scalability and ensuring that these innovations move from the lab to industrial production. One major success has been overcoming difficulties in polymerisation, a crucial step in creating the coatings. “The most challenging step for us was to perform the copolymerisation of the biomonomers in a process that could be scaled up by a company,” adds Rodríguez. “We have achieved that and we are now working on further scalability.” While the project is ongoing, significant progress has been made. Researchers have successfully created hydrophobic coatings with water contact angles exceeding 100 degrees, a strong indicator of water repellence. In real-world testing, these coatings have shown impressive resistance, particularly in packaging applications. “We have checked that this coating can avoid the penetration of ketchup and mayonnaise in paper,” says Rodríguez, demonstrating its potential for food packaging solutions.
Dissemination and engagement
TORNADO has actively engaged with the scientific and industrial communities through key events. The project was presented at MeetingPack24 in Valencia, Spain in April 2024, where an in-depth presentation highlighted the latest findings in packaging. Smart & Technical Textiles 2024 also featured discussions on the project’s contributions to sustainable textile solutions. Beyond physical events, TORNADO has reached a wider audience through online dissemination, with webinars attracting participants from universities, research centres and industry, demonstrating a strong global interest in bio-based coating solutions.
Achievements to date
As TORNADO moves into its final phases, the focus will be on validating the coatings in operational environments. This will involve testing their performance against industry standards for durability, waterproofing and oxygen barrier properties. The project follows the safe and sustainable by design (SSbD) framework, ensuring that safety and environmental considerations are embedded from the start. Rodríguez highlights the project’s holistic approach: “We are following the safe and sustainable by design criteria in all the value chains from the development of the biomonomers, to the coatings, and the application of the coatings.” In other results, TORNADO has successfully developed polymers containing 25 % functionalised biomass, an important step towards sustainability. Another milestone includes the submission of a patent application for a novel polymerisation process in December 2024. These successes demonstrate that SSbD and high performance can go hand in hand.
Keywords
TORNADO, safe and sustainable by design, SSbD, circular economy, water and oil repellent, sol-gel, biomonomers
