Feds award grant for polymer proposal
Rohm and Haas Co. has been awarded a $3.75 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Industrial Technologies Program to develop new polymer technologies that may eliminate as much as 30 percent of raw materials used to manufacture a number of paints and coatings.
Working with Archer Daniels Midland, the University of Minnesota and the Department of Energy, Rohm and Haas will match its water-based polymeric binders with new biomass-derived coalescing agents to create architectural paints and coatings that boast performance, environmental friendliness and cost efficiency. The novel polymer particles will initially benefit North American markets for waterborne architectural coatings, but applications can be found in other industries too.
The project will cost about $5.5 million, with Rohm and Haas and ADM responsible for the portion not covered by the DOE.