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Sustainable Polyurethane Elastomers for Footwear based on CO2 with improved properties

Objective

Most hiking boots or sport shoes include a polyurethane outsole (elastomer) due to its lightness and higher damping properties compared with rubber. However, a major problem is its poor resistance to hydrolysis, which implies a degradation of the material and the appearance of cracks, when stored for a long time under certain temperature/humidity conditions without being used, thus crumbling completely. Moreover, the current production of polyurethanes is entirely dependent on fossil fuels, implying a large environmental impact. In this sense, PUFOOTCO2 aims to develop polyurethane elastomers with improved properties (high hydrolysis resistance) in an environmentally sustainable way, not depending on petroleum, and starting from CO2 as a raw material, offering the following benefits:
- Technical benefits: CO2-based polyurethanes with improved properties to produce PU elastomers for the footwear industry, which implies a product with a longer shelf life.
- Environmental benefits: CO2 is free, abundant, and renewable and it can be used as a chemical building block for the production of polymers, thus reducing the dependence on fossil fuels for obtaining polyurethanes, reducing the carbon footprint and contributing in a sustainable way to the decrease in CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.
- Economic benefits: CO2 is significantly cheaper than conventional petroleum-based raw materials, so CO2-based polyurethane manufacturing costs are more favourable compared to conventional polyurethanes.
Our company, SYNTHELAST S.A. has tested these “green polyols” on a small scale. Through this project we wish to validate this new generation of sustainable polyurethanes on an industrial scale successfully, meeting the technical requirements for footwear applications, with a high hydrolysis resistance and taking advantage of this huge market opportunity.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) H2020-SMEInst-2014-2015

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Coordinator

SYNTHELAST SA
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 50 000,00
Address
CTRA NAL 340 KM 723 8 APARTADO 732
03295 Elche
Spain

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SME

The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.

Yes
Region
Este Comunitat Valenciana Alicante/Alacant
Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 71 429,00
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