BioSAPs

Conventional superabsorbent polymers (SAPs), widely used in personal care and hygiene products, are predominantly fossil-based and non-biodegradable. With growing consumer awareness and Drylock’s strong sustainability vision, there is an increasing drive for more sustainable and circular solutions. As a result, the industry faces an urgent imperative to transition to SAP materials that ideally are both biobased and biodegradable without compromising performance.

Today, developing such biobased and biodegradable SAPs remains an emerging research area fraught with significant technical challenges. Recognizing this need, a research project was launched by three Flemish companies, supported by Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) under the umbrella of Catalisti, the spearhead cluster that accelerates innovation into business in Flanders’ chemical and plastics sector, to pioneer the development of sustainable SAP alternatives capable of meeting future market expectations and environmental requirements.

The partners involved, designed new biodegradable and bio-based superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) for hygiene applications such as diapers, menstrual products, and incontinence materials.