Biodegradable cellulose microbeads for high-volume applications

This is far from being true: first, microbeads are still used in leave-on cosmetic products, e.g. make-up and sun cream and second, and more importantly, plastic microbeads are used in much larger quantities in paints and coatings, oil and gas fluids, agriculture and construction. Although, in these applications, microbeads might have a longer working life than in a shower gel, they also end up in the environment, contributing to microplastic pollution in waterways, soil and air. Naturbeads has developed the expertise to manufacture cellulose microbeads ranging in size from 1 micrometre to >1mm and is scaling-up the production of small microbeads for the cosmetic industry (1-100 micrometres). Cellulose is a natural material, renewable and biodegradable. Thanks to its chemical stability it has the potential to replace microplastics where other alternatives fail because of operating conditions including high temperature, pressure or due to corrosive solvents. The beads’ spherical shape mimics the rheological properties of plastic microbeads in a way that fibres cannot. A 2019 report from the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) proposed an extension of the plastic microbeads ban to large volume applications beyond cosmetics (detergents, paints and coatings, horticulture and agriculture, oil & gas, construction materials, and medicinal products). Naturbeads is well positioned to provide biodegradable cellulose beads as alternative to plastic microbeads in these applications. In this industrial project, Naturbeads will demonstrate a manufacturing solution for the production of cellulose beads with dimension >100 micrometres, to address the needs for plastic microbead replacements in industries affected by the proposed ECHA bans. This new product line works on a streamlined process to produce beads at higher volumes and lower costs than those for the cosmetics industry. The larger microbeads produced in this project will be tested in different end-users products, starting with construction, consumers products, and oil and gas applications. The project will serve as a proof-of-value of the production process and allow testing of the performance of the beads in end-users’ products.