Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 2

EVOCO Ltd. is focused on sustainable products for various industries, including fashion, footwear and, over the long term, furniture and automotive. EVOCO is committed to new carbon materials and processes that do not increase the overall load of CO2 in our atmosphere. Unlike old carbon methods such as the extraction of petroleum from fossil fuels, EVOCO works within the current carbon cycle, finding organic substances and methods that generate recyclable CO2 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To achieve over 95% renewable carbon content in their products, EVOCO has been exploring the synthesis of novel biobased diisocyanates and has applied for several patent applications. The main goal of this project is to develop a process for all three of their proprietary materials. The priority will be to have KEMITEK develop a process at the pilot plant scale for the novel biobased diisocyanate in year 1, as well as a pilot scale-up of a proprietary polyol as a 2nd part in year 2 and followed by the scale-up of the proprietary biobased plasticizer as a 3rd part in year 3 of the project.EVOCO wants to carry out the industrialization of a novel isocyanate that is biobased (patent pending), and that can be made through a more friendly chemical process. Then, they also wants to produce novel polyols that are also biobased. Biobased polyols can be drop-in replacements for existing polyols, as they have similar structures and properties, but are derived from renewable raw materials rather than petrochemicals, as well as substitutes for existing polyols that have slightly different structures and properties, or new compounds with entirely new functionality and performance characteristics. Finally, EVOCO wants to carry out the industrialization of novel biobased plasticizers. Biobased plasticizers show advantages of renewability, degradability, hypotoxicity, excellent solvent resistance, low bleeding and excellent plasticizing performances that make them potential partial or total replacement to o-phthalate plasticizers.