Research Tracks

Over 60% of cotton and cotton-blend fabrics are treated with DMDHEU (dimethylol dihydroxyethylene urea) to achieve durab...

Linen and flax fabrics are the most wrinkle-prone of all natural fibres. The premium linen market — Belgian linen, Irish...

Bamboo viscose is one of the fastest-growing textile fibres, marketed on sustainability credentials by brands including ...

Hemp is the fastest-growing natural fibre in sustainable fashion, driven by brands like Patagonia, Levi's, Tentree, and ...

Polyethylene mulch film is used on millions of hectares globally for weed suppression and soil moisture retention but cr...

Performance outdoor fabrics (awnings, marine canvas, patio furniture) are predominantly solution-dyed acrylic (polyacryl...

Molded pulp — used for egg cartons, meat trays, fish trays, produce trays, and premium electronics packaging — universal...

Paper straws fail not because the adhesive between wound plies fails — they fail because the paper body itself loses str...

Lyocell (branded TENCEL by Lenzing AG), Modal, and Cupro are premium regenerated cellulose fibres marketed explicitly on...

Paper straws were introduced as the leading alternative to banned single-use plastic straws, but consumer dissatisfactio...

Facial tissue, toilet paper, and paper towels use PAE (polyamide-epichlorohydrin) as wet strength agent — accounting for...

Bioplastics like PLA and PHA suffer from poor heat resistance, brittleness, and limited mechanical performance compared ...

Food-contact paper packaging — including burger wrappers, pizza boxes, microwave popcorn bags, and bakery bags — relies ...

Viscose/rayon is the world's largest regenerated cellulose fibre — a $23B global market. Viscose is MORE wrinkle-prone t...

The global denim industry applies permanent press (wrinkle-resistance) finishes to hundreds of millions of yards of fabr...

Automotive interior textiles (headliners, door panels, seat fabrics, trunk liners) use acrylic-backed fabrics finished w...

Controlled-release fertilizers use synthetic polymer coatings (polyurethane, polyolefin, alkyd resins) that accumulate a...

Heavy-duty multiwall kraft bags (cement, flour, pet food, chemicals, seed) rely on PAE (polyamide-epichlorohydrin) resin...

Agricultural residue boards — wheat straw boards (Stramit), rice straw boards, sugarcane bagasse boards, hemp shiv panel...

Textile backcoating (applied to drapery, upholstery, and carpet backing) uses acrylic latex binders crosslinked with N-m...

Plywood manufacturing consumes over 10 million tonnes of urea-formaldehyde (UF) adhesive annually, making it the single ...

Commercial seed coatings rely on synthetic polymers like polyvinyl alcohol and polyacrylamide to bind pesticides, nutrie...

Retanning uses synthetic polymers (acrylic, melamine, naphthalene sulfonates) and auxiliary chrome to achieve desired le...

Architectural latex paints rely on coalescent solvents (Texanol, glycol ethers) to enable film formation below the polym...

Jute and sisal are used in geotextiles (slope stabilisation, erosion control), carpet backing (primary and secondary), i...

Wet-strength resins used in corrugated packaging are predominantly polyamidoamine-epichlorohydrin (PAE) resins, which co...

Silicone-based release coatings dominate the pressure-sensitive adhesive label, tape, and composite molding industries b...

Particleboard is the most-produced wood composite globally at over 120 million cubic meters per year, used in flat-pack ...

Single-use cellulosic nonwovens — surgical drapes, isolation gowns, wound care dressings, industrial wipes — require wet...

Formaldehyde-based dye fixatives are widely used to improve colorfastness on cellulosic fibers dyed with direct and reac...

Wood fibre insulation boards (WFIB) — rigid and semi-rigid thermal/acoustic panels used in passive-house building envelo...

Acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) used in tapes, labels, medical adhesives, and protective films require cross...

Agricultural crop protection films (row covers, low tunnels) are predominantly made from polyethylene or polypropylene, ...

Abaca (Manila hemp), coir (coconut fibre), and ramie are specialty natural fibres with specific high-value applications....

Leather surface finishes rely heavily on polyurethane dispersions, nitrocellulose lacquers, and acrylic binders that con...

Mixed plastic waste — the unsorted residue after PET and HDPE are removed — represents over 60% of all plastic waste and...

Antimicrobial textile finishes predominantly use silver nanoparticles, triclosan, or quaternary ammonium compounds. Silv...

Printing inks and overprint varnishes (OPV) for food packaging, labels, and commercial print use acrylic or polyurethane...

Nonwoven fabrics used in wipes, filters, geotextiles, and hygiene products rely on synthetic latex binders (styrene-buta...

Medium-density fiberboard (MDF) is the most widely used engineered wood product in furniture, cabinetry, and interior co...

An estimated 250 billion paper cups are used globally each year, virtually all lined with polyethylene (PE) film to prev...

Polylactic acid (PLA) was promoted as the biodegradable solution to plastic pollution, but in practice, PLA only degrade...

Degraded agricultural soils suffer from poor water retention, compaction, and depleted organic matter. Current synthetic...

Marine biofouling costs the shipping industry $30-60B annually in fuel penalties and maintenance. Tributyltin (TBT) was ...

Carbon fiber production starts with polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor fiber, which requires surface sizing agents for pr...

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is the dominant sizing agent for cotton and blended yarns in weaving, applied to over 30 billion...

Fiberglass and mineral wool insulation — found in 90% of North American homes — uses phenol-formaldehyde (PF) binder res...

Industrial protective coatings for infrastructure, pipelines, and heavy equipment rely on two-component epoxy and polyur...

Hydrogels for biomedical applications (wound care, drug delivery, tissue engineering) are commonly crosslinked with glut...

Polymer-modified cementitious coatings (waterproofing membranes, repair mortars, decorative renders) use acrylic or styr...

Halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) such as brominated and chlorinated compounds are widely used in upholstery, children...

Dental composite resins are based on BPA-derived monomers (Bis-GMA, Bis-EMA) and crosslinkers (TEGDMA) that release BPA ...

Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is the fastest-growing structural building material, enabling mass timber buildings up to 2...

PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is the world's most common plastic for bottles and food packaging, with over 70 million...

Molded fiber food containers (clamshells, bowls, trays) for takeout and delivery are coated with PFAS or plastic linings...

Chromate conversion coatings (hexavalent chromium) have been the gold standard for metal corrosion protection for decade...

Automotive clear coats use melamine-formaldehyde or isocyanate crosslinkers cured at 130-140°C to achieve the hardness, ...

Chrome tanning dominates 80-85% of global leather production but generates hexavalent chromium-contaminated wastewater a...

Advanced wound dressings use synthetic adhesives and crosslinked hydrocolloid matrices that can cause skin stripping inj...

Tissue engineering scaffolds require biocompatible crosslinkers to stabilize natural polymer matrices (collagen, gelatin...

Durable water repellent (DWR) finishes on outdoor apparel, military uniforms, and performance textiles rely heavily on p...

Controlled drug delivery microparticles and nanoparticles rely on synthetic polymers (PLGA, PLA, polycaprolactone) with ...