A new, non-toxic coating to replace PFAS in textiles and packaging has moved closer to commercial production after recognition from the Royal Society of Chemistry.
The Fibrepel (formerly AguaShield) technology developed by London-based Demeter Bio, uses biomaterials to replace PFAS in applications such as clothing, upholstery, hygiene and packaging; replicating PFAS’ water and stain-repellent properties.
The company won the environment category at the RSC’s Emerging Technologies Competition for the invention, which delivers a safer and environmentally friendly alternative to PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), commonly known as ‘forever chemicals’.
Speaking afterwards, Adelya Khayrova, Co-Founder and CSO at Demeter Bio said: “As a science-led startup, receiving recognition from the Royal Society of Chemistry is incredibly meaningful. Their support has been invaluable in helping us advance our technology, and we’re honoured to receive this award. It will open the door to new collaborations across academia and industry, enabling us to further develop Fibrepel and accelerate the transition to safer, PFAS-free materials.”
As PFAS regulations increased across Europe, the team also noticed alternative coatings being developed relied on microplastics, which, despite being PFAS-free, are also linked to health and contamination issues and do not perform as well against oil and alcohol resistance.
Ben Voysey, Entrepreneurship Manager at the Royal Society of Chemistry, added: “Our annual Emerging Technologies Competition celebrates the cutting-edge technologies that address global challenges, and we were extremely impressed by the calibre of entries this year. PFAS contamination is a huge issue and efforts like these, to develop safer alternatives for these chemicals’ useful properties, are critical to improving our health and the wider environment.
“Demeter Bio is an extremely worthy winner in the Environment category, and, alongside our other entries and finalists, we applaud their application of technically advanced solutions to this issue.”