How could we use AI to make cleaner plastics?

AI has helped this startup create a more sustainable, less toxic polyurethane material

Spotted: It may not sound familiar, but polyurethane is used in a huge number of industrial and consumer products, from home insulation and adhesives to shoes and car parts. Producing polyurethane is extremely energy- and carbon-intensive, relying on fossil fuels and toxic isocyanates, which is why US startup Matereal has come up with an alternative.

The company was founded by Jacqueline Ros Amable, who is now the company CEO, and Dr. Philip Pienkos, CTO, as a result of a joint desire to help manufacturers get rid of both unsustainable petrochemicals and harmful toxic chemicals. To do this, Dr. Pienkos and partners at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) collaborated to create a revolutionary new technology, which formed the basis of Matereal’s Polaris – the company’s first chemical platform.

Polaris is a bio-based and non-isocyanate polyurethane that’s made using renewable resources, recycled feedstocks, and captured carbon dioxide. Polaris is as versatile, affordable, and durable as traditional polyurethane, but according to Amable, it’s almost a million times less toxic and produces a fraction of the pollution generated by existing fossil-based alternatives. Unlike typical polyurethane products, Polaris materials can be biodegraded, composted, or recycled.

Amable highlights that Matereal isn’t just a materials or chemical company, it’s also a leader in AI. “Implementing AI into our R&D process means we can optimise Polaris production for use in an incredibly wide range of applications and tailor it to our customers’ needs,” Amable told Springwise. Polaris can be made available as thermoplastic chips, coatings, or films.

Matereal recently completed a $4.5 million seed round, led by the Collaborative Fund and with participation from firms like Better Ventures, Alante Capital, One Small Planet, and Climate Capital. The company is currently focusing on textiles and textile coatings and is working on producing its first run of samples, which will hopefully be available to customers at the end of this year. In the longer term, the company also hopes to build partnerships with both consumer brands and manufacturers that are looking to pilot bio-based polyurethane in their processing.

Written By: Duncan Whitmore and Matilda Cox