Diversey (a Solenis Company), the Seeker for this Innocentive Challenge, is looking for eco-friendly substitutes for traditional polymer compounds used in one of Diversey’s building care products.
Microplastics, tiny plastic particles of less than 5 millimeters in size, are a growing environmental concern. First, microplastics may accumulate in the environment, causing harm and potentially disrupting ecosystems. Second, preliminary data suggests that microplastic ingestion may have negative effects on human health.
Not surprisingly, microplastics are rapidly becoming a focus of regulatory scrutiny, with some regulations on microplastic use already in place and further, more restrictive, regulations expected.
We at Diversey want to proactively replace traditional polymer ingredients in our products with more eco-friendly options, without the potential for forming microplastics.
The objective of this Challenge is to replace such ingredients in one of our building care products, while fully preserving the properties of the product, including its physical and chemical characteristics.
Solenis is a leader in water and hygiene solutions, partnering with our customers to improve the environment and make the world safer. As a trusted partner, we deliver value by solving sustainability and operational challenges with the right people, the right experience and the right technology. Our solutions help conserve natural resources and promote cleaner and safer environments. For more than 100 years, customers have trusted us to deliver value-driven, tailor-made solutions, advanced insights, measurable results and service that is second to none. We hope that you will join us on this journey by taking part in this Wazoku Crowd Challenge.
Employees of Solenis, their family members, and company affiliates are ineligible to receive an award for this Challenge.
Microplastics, tiny plastic particles of less than 5 millimeters in size, are a growing environmental concern. First, microplastics may accumulate in the environment, causing harm and potentially disrupting ecosystems. Second, preliminary data suggest that microplastic ingestion may have negative effects on human health.
Not surprisingly, microplastics are rapidly becoming a focus of regulatory scrutiny, with some regulations on microplastic use already in place and further, more restrictive, regulations expected.
Bearing in mind our consumers’ best interests, we at Diversey want to proactively replace potential sources of microplastics in our products with more eco-friendly options.
The objective of this Challenge, therefore, is to replace two traditional polymer ingredients in one of our building care products with substitutes that cannot form microplastics, while fully preserving the properties of the product, including its physical and chemical characteristics.
The Challenge
More specifically, we want to modify the following water-based formulation we use to treat hard floors of industrial and residential buildings:
- Acrylic emulsion polymer (50%, w/w), which forms the main film-laying component and provides durability and protection to the surface.
- Polyethylene wax emulsion (4-5%, w/w). This polymer is added to increase protection against wear and tear, as well as impact other performance properties.
- Coalescent package (8-10%, v/w) that includes plasticizers that do not evaporate and are considered a part of the solids of the film and glycol ether solvents that evaporate during drying. Some are considered Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) while others are exempt (while limited to <1% VOC).
- Additives (<1%, w/w), such as wetting agents, defoamers, preservatives, etc.
- Water (remainder of make-up).
The objective of this Challenge is to find an eco-friendly substitute for the acrylic and polyethylene components of the formulation while preserving the properties of the end-product, including its physical and chemical characteristics. Acrylic and polyethylene polymers have the potential to be sources of microplastics although there is no current link known between hard floor treatments and microplastic formation.
The product properties to be preserved include, but are not limited to: durability, non-slip, cost/sq ft, capex vs consumable spend, substrate adherence/adhesion, aesthetics (clear and gloss), good shelf stability (2 years), and preferably applied with current methods.
They should be soluble in water and be completely compatible with other components of the formulation (plasticizers and glycol ether solvents). Also, they should preserve, as much as possible, the physical and chemical characteristics of the formulation:
- High abrasion resistance, reported as weight loss in milligrams (mg) per abrasion cycle (ASTM D4060).
- Adhesion strength, a measure of bonding integrity between the coating and the substrate, expressed in MPa or as percentage adhesion retained after exposure (ASTM D3359 or ISO 2409).
- Slip resistance, with the coefficient of friction (COF) being ≥ 0.60.
- ≥50 Gloss Units (ASTM D523 or ISO 2813).
- Shelf stability in ambient conditions for at least 2 years.
- Full compatibility with the roller and spray applications of the coating to the wooden floors.
The proposed substitutes must be environmentally friendly and completely safe for human operators. More specifically:
- They should be formaldehyde-free and PFAS-free.
- They should display VOC <1.0% (must pass Diversey regulatory review).
- They should not require any additional personal protective equipment (PPE) compared to the current product during formulation or application of the floor finish.
Ideally, they should be readily biodegradable.
Awards:- US$10,000
