Swedish researchers seek biobased BPA alternatives

In Sweden, polyester and a host of other plastic products could potentially be manufactured with non-toxic and sustainable BPA alternatives identified in a multidisciplinary study published recently by researchers at KTH.

The identification of safe bisphenol alternatives resulted from a design, assessment and development workflow introduced by a team of chemists, data scientists, toxicologists and material experts at KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University. Their aim was to find safe, non-estrogenic alternatives to Bisphenol A (BPA) and its analogs, which are key ingredients in – among other things –polycarbonate plastics used to make scores of consumer and industrial products. The study paid particular attention to bisphenols that could be made from renewable resources.

By aligning with the European Commission’s Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) framework, their approach puts these bisphenols on track for regulatory approval and eventually industrial adoption. SSbD is a voluntary framework to guide the innovation process for safe chemicals and materials. The research was published in the journal Nature Sustainability.

Tags: biobased BPA, Sweden

Category: Research