MOOI-grant for Peter Deuss for the development of pioneering paint solutions

Royal Van Wijhe Verf, Wydo, CliQ, Ecoat, ChainCraft, the Hanze and Groningen University join efforts to work together on solutions for the paint of the future in the pioneering project ‘Biodegradable Coatings’. The consortium receives support under the MOOI-regulation provided by the growth fund Biobased Circular and the Dutch Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth. This project combines the expertise of participating parties to create innovative and circular paint solutions to address challenges and targets that the European Green Deal poses for the paint sector. Emissions must be substantially reduced, waste needs to be repurposed as raw materials and microplastics use must be eliminated. The raw material transition is complex and evolves slowly, but offers novel opportunities to use bio-derived paint components. The reduction of microplastics poses a serious conflict of interest, as achieving the protective effect of a coating on the window frame while this coating should also biodegrade effectively in nature.

To accelerate the raw material transition in the paint industry, this consortium has been formed with companies and knowledge institutes to combine their knowledge and expertise to develop alternative paint ingredients. Novel bio-based ingredients derived from waste streams will be developed and tested. Ultimately, the consortium will work on concept versions of an indoors wall and lacquer paint, with a significantly lower carbon footprint and fully biodegradable products.

At the University of Groningen, in the team of Prof Peter Deuss of the green chemical reaction engineering group of ENTEG, new lignin-derived additives for the protection of colours will be developed for paint formulations. Lignin, a biomass component found in inedible food residues such as walnut shells, possesses potent properties due to its chemical structure that make it highly promising for use in paint. To harness these properties, the lignin must be carefully extracted and isolated from the biomass, and its structure chemically tuned for compatibility and effective application. The group will also study the relationship between the chemical structure and performance in paint applications to guide further technology development. This work is supported by a grant of €172,000, which enables the appointment of a dedicated postdoctoral researcher within our institute to contribute to the project.

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