RADAR Project: Developing Safe and Sustainable Alternatives to Fossil-Based Chemicals

Transforming biomass into eco-friendly solutions for a healthier planet

Many everyday products, such as plastics, detergents and clothing, contain fossil-based chemicals. Some of these chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA) and phenol are harmful to both human health and the environment, especially when people are exposed to them. BPA and similar substances are persistent in nature and have been linked to various health issues. As concerns grow, there is an urgent need for safer alternatives.

In this context, the EU-funded RADAR project will develop renewable, eco-friendly chemicals to replace these harmful substances. By using biomass side streams and cutting-edge technology, RADAR focuses on creating safer, more sustainable alternatives. The project strives to ensure that these new chemicals are both environmentally friendly and safe for human health.

Developing Renewable Alternatives to Harmful Aromatic Chemicals

Fossil-based aromatic chemicals like phenol, bisphenol A (BPA), BPA derivatives and alkylphenols are produced on a million ton scale and are commonly used in surfactants, flame retardants and plastics. However, they also raise serious environmental and health concerns especially in applications that result in potential exposure to the body such as detergents, furniture, textile or food packaging.

Therefore, this multidisciplinary EU project aims at developing renewable compounds as benign alternatives for current aromatic chemicals following the Safe and Sustainable-By-Design (SSbD) framework. The project will focus on the molecular design of novel biobased compounds as alternatives for substances of very high concern (SVHC) via an inventive catalytic biorefinery of biomass sides streams.

New approach methodologies (NAMs) will be used for hazard assessment of the new chemicals in terms of human health and environmental toxicity. Machine learning models will be developed for the design phase and for the in-silico impact assessment of the novel chemicals. Successful products will be safe, follow the principles of green chemistry, demonstrate a lower carbon footprint than their petrochemical counterparts and will have a calculated life cycle and socio-economic impact.

Formal SSbD reporting in RADAR will demonstrate the applicability of the framework and support EU policy. The selected RADAR chemicals will be upscaled to multi kg scale and investigated in industrial applications while they will be benchmarked against functional properties of standard flame retardant, surfactant or can coating materials. RADAR data will allow mapping of the substitution barriers in terms of supply, production cost and performance.

To reach its goals, the RADAR consortium involves all relevant industrial actors along the value chain ranging from biomass refinery to chemicals production and brand owners in end markets supported by excellent knowledge institutions.

The role of Apeiron-Team

Apeiron-Team will coordinate the SSbD assessments for this project. This will start with a separate scoping study for each of the three applications covered by this project: alternative for a brominated flame retardant, alternative for a BPA base surfactant and an alternative for a BPA base polymer for can coating.

Starting from this scoping study, the data collection and the required SSbD assessments will be coordinated by Apeiron-team as SSbD coordinator. In this role, Apeiron-Team will critically analyse the guidance on SSbD and where deemed necessary propose alternative approaches.

In the scope of the project novel assessment methods will be developed by the project partners. The use of these new tools in function of the SSbD will be coordinated by Apeiron-Team.

Partners

www.RADAR-project.eu