Newly formed P2 Science is using technology licensed from Yale University to develop and manufacture a new class of surfactants that has potential use as an emulsifier in industrial lubricants.
The company said the high performance C-glycosides (CG) surfactants are mild in use, stable, customizable and manufactured in low energy-intensive conditions. The patent pending technology is from the Yale Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering. Patrick Foley, the lead Yale inventor in the CG field, is P2 Sciences chief scientific officer.
P2 has set up a laboratory in New Haven, Conn., to continue development of the initial surfactant product range and has begun discussions with potential partners and customers in a number of end-use markets. These products are largely non-ionic, and very stable over a wide range of temperatures and a wide range of Ph conditions, P2 Science Chief Executive Officer Neil Burns told Lube Report. We think this is going to make them suitable as emulsifiers, particularly in a metalworking environment. Some other expected applications include detergents, hard-surface cleaners, and mining and oil field chemicals.
The raw materials are naturally occurring carbohydrates, so that could be corn syrup, it could be sugar cane – really any naturally occurring carbohydrate is a potential raw material, Burns explained, adding they will initially look at various derivatives as potential raw materials, including sugar, corn, soy and palm derivatives.
He emphasized manufacturing conditions for the products are considered quite mild compared to traditional surfactant manufacturing. Theres not a lot of energy involved, and its quite low temperature, low pressure type manufacturing conditions compared to typical non-ionics that are manufactured in bulk today, Burns said.
P2 is a lab company that is in the process of scaling up in two steps. One is to work with a contract research organization that will work with us to move from the lab bench up to the tens of kilos scale, Burns said. The second stage is to scale up to commercial quantities. Because the manufacturing process is fairly simple, we expect to be able to do that with a range of potential contract manufacturers, until we get to such a point where the volumes justify us investing in our own manufacturing capability.
Burns, who has 20 years experience in the surfactant industry, is currently managing partner of Neil A. Burns LLC, an investment and advisory firm focusing on surfactants and oleochemicals.
Elm Street Ventures, an early state venture capital firm also based in New Haven, provided financing for the formation of P2 Science.