Sonichem raises US$761,175 to transform the automotive industry with bio-based plastics

UK – A consortium led by sustainable technology innovator Sonichem has secured nearly £600,000 (US$761,175) in funding from Innovate UK’s ‘Resource efficiency for materials and manufacturing’ (REforMM) program.

The funding will expedite the advancement of the exclusive Sonichem ultrasound technology and the production of renewable, economical substitutes for petrochemicals ubiquitously utilized in the fabrication of plastics, resins, and composites within the automotive sector.

The cutting-edge CARMA (carbon-neutral agroforestry-derived resins to materials for automotive applications) project will administer Sonichem’s ultrasonic processing technique to automotive applications for the inaugural time.

The patented pioneering approach metamorphoses sawdust, the biomass by-product from forestry operations, into top-notch lignin.

This sustainable material will then constitute the foundation for bio-based platform chemicals, offering eco-friendly alternatives to conventional petrochemical-derived materials currently employed in crafting diverse vehicle components.

This transformative venture is conducted in partnership with technology innovation catalyst CPI, the National Composites Centre (NCC), Scott Bader, SHD Composites, and Polestar.

CPI will support the upscale of the Sonichem technology; Scott Bader will pioneer the development of high-performance, sustainable composite resin formulations; and the NCC, SHD Composites, and Polestar will collectively explore the potential of these groundbreaking materials for automotive interiors applications.

The CARMA project aligns seamlessly with the UK Government’s emphasis on resource-efficient, sustainable industrial materials, seeking to substantially diminish the UK’s dependence on imported composite materials, currently amounting to approximately £250-260 million annually.

The freshly bestowed funding from Innovate UK will empower the international consortium to institute a robust and sustainable lignin supply chain within the UK, expediting the formulation of sustainable plastics and resins.

This contributes to steering the automotive industry towards a net-zero future and enhancing the UK’s bioeconomy.

Adrian Black, CEO of Sonichem, expressed, “We’re extremely pleased to have the backing of Innovate UK’s REforMM program for this strong industrial consortium.

“This funding is a catalyst in our quest to offer the automotive industry a sustainable alternative to petrochemical-derived plastics.

“With Sonichem’s ultrasound technology and the collaborative expertise of our partners, we are set to make strides toward a net-zero future and strengthen the UK’s bioeconomy.”

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