Scion’s environmentally-friendly bioadhesives technology has been awarded Biotechnology of the Year at NZBIO’s annual conference. Source: Timberbiz
Dr Will Barker, Chief Executive of NZBIO, said the technology was a game changer for wood panel manufacturers.
The Scion bioadhesives team, led by Warren Grigsby, developed a world first 100% biobased adhesive and resins for engineered wood products.
Made from natural sources, such as forestry and agricultural waste, these adhesives and resins are petrochemical-free, have very low formaldehyde emissions and can be made and used in existing manufacturing operations.
“We are thrilled to receive this award. It’s a great acknowledgement. We’ve spent years mixing and matching assorted ingredients to come up with right recipe. This is the icing on the cake,” Mr Grigsby said.
The technology, which has been over seven years in the making, has been trademarked and patented as ‘Ligate’.
“The ‘green’ credentials of Ligate products will provide manufacturers with a competitive advantage over wood processors using conventional petrochemical-based adhesives and resins,” Mr Grigsby said.
“Adhesives and resins made from natural sources have a lower environmental footprint and are considered more socially acceptable than their traditional formaldehyde-based counterparts.”
The technology has already attracted international interest.
