Periodic Reporting for period 1 - PROPLANET (Enhanced Safe and Sustainable coatings for supporting the Planet)
Berichtszeitraum: 2023-01-01 bis 2024-06-30
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are all around us. Chosen for their unique properties, they are used in a multitude of applications, e.g. cookware, firefighting foams etc.. Due to their stability these “forever chemicals”, engender severe issues. They do not break down under normal conditions, accumulate in the environment causing pollution and affecting human health.
PROPLANET aims to advance novel coatings from a conceptual stage (TRL3) to validation in a relevant environment (TRL5), with the main objective: replacing PFAS in coatings with safer, more sustainable alternatives. To achieve this, the project focuses on key innovations for three industrial sectors: textile, food packaging equipment, and low-maintenance glass. The new coatings aim to have reduced water and carbon footprints, lower toxicity, and enhanced recyclability, while offering improved mechanical and chemical properties. Additionally, an open-source replicability tool will be created, incorporating advanced models for toxicity, functionality, environmental impact, and optimisation algorithms to boost market uptake and SSbDguidelines. The project will also establish certification programs for its sustainable products.
PROPLANET aims to advance novel coatings from a conceptual stage (TRL3) to validation in a relevant environment (TRL5), with the main objective: replacing PFAS in coatings with safer, more sustainable alternatives. To achieve this, the project focuses on key innovations for three industrial sectors: textile, food packaging equipment, and low-maintenance glass. The new coatings aim to have reduced water and carbon footprints, lower toxicity, and enhanced recyclability, while offering improved mechanical and chemical properties. Additionally, an open-source replicability tool will be created, incorporating advanced models for toxicity, functionality, environmental impact, and optimisation algorithms to boost market uptake and SSbDguidelines. The project will also establish certification programs for its sustainable products.
The consortium has successfully met several objectives in the first reporting period, defining key requirements and developing novel PFAS-free coating formulations.
A multitude of materials were meticulously tested to identify the optimal candidates for textile application. Various formulation parameters, chemical modification methods and application techniques were assessed to optimize the coating process. The initial requirements were met by the development and application of three distinct coatings, comprising natural or chemically modified natural compounds in a polysaccharide matrix. The second development line focuses on coatings for food packaging machines, i.e. coatings on metal. Promising outcomes in adhesion and low surface free-energy, deduced from water (WCA) and oil contact angle (HCA) measurements, were achieved by evaluating various formulations via the sol-gel process. Finally for the glass coating sector, the requirements of transparent, uniform and defect-free sols have been met with promising water contact angle values. All the formulations developed in this first block of the project are currently being upscaled to be implemented by the end-users later in the project.
The consortium also set out to support the development of SSbD products harnessing the power of mathematical and computational tools. In this line, two distinct models were developed: (1) to predict the deposition of particles in the human lung based on a particle size distribution, and (2) to predict the environmental concentration of pollutants (e.g. in water, air and soil), potentially emitted from the production of PROPLANET coatings. Furthermore, first-principles-based simulations assessed the interaction of chemical compounds with water or oil at a molecular level. The conjunction of these simulations with a simple experiment led to the successful correlation between simulations and tangible parameters, i.e. the WCA and HCA. Moreover, data-driven methods and AI have been used with the objective to merge the computational results in an IT tool offering insights into PROPLANET coatings’ performance, and their toxicological and environmental impact. The toxicological aspects of the coatings have been assessed based on available toxicity and safety information as well as in vitro testing. Ultimately, the tool’s database has been implemented, deployed, and connected to its first prototype.
Significant progress has been achieved in the SSbD aspects of the PROPLANET developments. Safety and sustainability criteria have been defined at the beginning of PROPLANET products developments. The value chain for PROPLANET coatings has been mapped, making it possible to indicate eco-design routes to guide the development of materials. The Life Cycle Sustainable Assessment methodology has been defined to assess the three pillars of sustainability for PROPLANET products. The mapped value chain has been studied to gain material life cycle insight and develop strategies for the end-of-life products.
Moreover, the consortium compiled information on regulations, standards, and certifications relevant for the PROPLANET coatings. This was also supported by the mapping of toxicological requirements for the developed coatings which led to a strategy for hazard and safety assessments.
Finally, communication efforts focused on establishing the project's identity through the creation of templates, printed materials, and social media accounts, as well as the official webpage. Promoting PROPLANET’s progress through major events, workshops and scientific articles was at the forefront of our activities. The NoPFAS cluster formed by our sister projects as well as communication with the IRISS CSA action project was established. Exploitation activities and IPR management included market analysis, updating the key exploitable results, patent analysis, and developing strategies to maximize the impact and adoption of the project's innovations.
A multitude of materials were meticulously tested to identify the optimal candidates for textile application. Various formulation parameters, chemical modification methods and application techniques were assessed to optimize the coating process. The initial requirements were met by the development and application of three distinct coatings, comprising natural or chemically modified natural compounds in a polysaccharide matrix. The second development line focuses on coatings for food packaging machines, i.e. coatings on metal. Promising outcomes in adhesion and low surface free-energy, deduced from water (WCA) and oil contact angle (HCA) measurements, were achieved by evaluating various formulations via the sol-gel process. Finally for the glass coating sector, the requirements of transparent, uniform and defect-free sols have been met with promising water contact angle values. All the formulations developed in this first block of the project are currently being upscaled to be implemented by the end-users later in the project.
The consortium also set out to support the development of SSbD products harnessing the power of mathematical and computational tools. In this line, two distinct models were developed: (1) to predict the deposition of particles in the human lung based on a particle size distribution, and (2) to predict the environmental concentration of pollutants (e.g. in water, air and soil), potentially emitted from the production of PROPLANET coatings. Furthermore, first-principles-based simulations assessed the interaction of chemical compounds with water or oil at a molecular level. The conjunction of these simulations with a simple experiment led to the successful correlation between simulations and tangible parameters, i.e. the WCA and HCA. Moreover, data-driven methods and AI have been used with the objective to merge the computational results in an IT tool offering insights into PROPLANET coatings’ performance, and their toxicological and environmental impact. The toxicological aspects of the coatings have been assessed based on available toxicity and safety information as well as in vitro testing. Ultimately, the tool’s database has been implemented, deployed, and connected to its first prototype.
Significant progress has been achieved in the SSbD aspects of the PROPLANET developments. Safety and sustainability criteria have been defined at the beginning of PROPLANET products developments. The value chain for PROPLANET coatings has been mapped, making it possible to indicate eco-design routes to guide the development of materials. The Life Cycle Sustainable Assessment methodology has been defined to assess the three pillars of sustainability for PROPLANET products. The mapped value chain has been studied to gain material life cycle insight and develop strategies for the end-of-life products.
Moreover, the consortium compiled information on regulations, standards, and certifications relevant for the PROPLANET coatings. This was also supported by the mapping of toxicological requirements for the developed coatings which led to a strategy for hazard and safety assessments.
Finally, communication efforts focused on establishing the project's identity through the creation of templates, printed materials, and social media accounts, as well as the official webpage. Promoting PROPLANET’s progress through major events, workshops and scientific articles was at the forefront of our activities. The NoPFAS cluster formed by our sister projects as well as communication with the IRISS CSA action project was established. Exploitation activities and IPR management included market analysis, updating the key exploitable results, patent analysis, and developing strategies to maximize the impact and adoption of the project's innovations.
In the first reporting period, the project has successfully developed PFAS-free coating formulations that adhere to the SSbD approach. The partners developed the innovative coating formulations that could revolutionise various sectors, including those addressed in the project. When developing textile coatings, compounds with large polysaccharide molecules were used, rendering the use of computational modeling impossible to identify the viable methodology or chemical modification to achieve hydrophobicity. Therefore, experimental screening helped to develop a database of formulations and properties. While this development marks a notable step forward in coating development and provides a foundation for further innovation, further optimization of the coatings for all the listed sectors are required in the second part of the project, where scale-up issues, full performance characterization and validation will be performed in collaboration with the partners and end-users of the three sectors. The objective is to validate these coatings and ensure potential further uptake in the market.
Furthermore, the creation of a dedicated database, first-principles-based simulations—linking molecular to macro properties—and environmental fate models—predicting the amount of pollution by a specific chemical compound—paved the way for the development of the PROPLANET Replication tool to consider SSbD development.
Furthermore, the creation of a dedicated database, first-principles-based simulations—linking molecular to macro properties—and environmental fate models—predicting the amount of pollution by a specific chemical compound—paved the way for the development of the PROPLANET Replication tool to consider SSbD development.