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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/S69726/01
Title: New Routes to Sustainable Polyoxgenates
Principal Investigator: Davidson, Professor MG
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Johnson Matthey Permabond Division Rosehill Polymers Ltd
Smith & Nephew
Department: Chemistry
Organisation: University of Bath
Scheme: LINK
Starts: 30 August 2004 Ends: 29 December 2007 Value (£): 392,420
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Catalysis & Applied Catalysis Chemical Synthetic Methodology
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Chemicals Healthcare
Related Grants:
GR/T24098/01
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
This proposed LINK project brings together industrial (Johnson Matthey, Smith and Nephew, Permabond, Rosehill) and academic (Universities of Bath and Leeds) partners in order to develop and utilise a new and sustainable technology platform for the production of functional polymers such as polyurethanes, polyethers and polyesters. This platform will enable: (i) the replacement of heavy metal catalysts (eg., tin, antimony or mercury) with more acceptable alternatives (eg., titanium); and (ii) new metal-catalysed routes to functional polymers using bioactive monomers. The total cost of the project is 1.4m, two thirds of which is funded by industry.The proposed technology will combine the design of new well-defined molecular catalysts, derived from benign metals, with carefully designed polymerization methods which address both the chemistry and technology of catalysed processes. Interaction between all research groups involved in the project will be close since the production of functional polymeric materials such as bioactive wound dressings or high performance adhesives requires close control of chemical and physical properties. The research methodologies will include ligand/catalyst synthesis and structural characterisation, kinetic studies on a molecular level (model systems), macroscopic kinetic studies (polymer systems), computer modelling of polymerisations, scale up of catalyst and polymer production, biomedical screening of polymers, high throughput screening of adhesive formulationsAlthough focused on adhesives and biomedical (wound management) devices, the technology to be developed will provide a platform possessing wideranging and general applicability across many markets including other high-value and emerging applications . In the adhesives case, we anticipate commercialisation of tin-replacement technology within the lifetime of the project whereas the wound management application is medium-term and expected to remain pre-competitive during the lifetime of the project.
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Organisation Website: http://www.bath.ac.uk