27 abr 2026
The project EMULCEL has been featured in the Diari de Girona, owing to its innovative work in developing sustainable alternatives to petroleum-derived surfactants.
EMULCEL, an ambitious project coordinated by the Catalan chemical company Concentrol, involves the research group LEPAMAP-PRODIS. The period of execution began in late 2024, stemming from a prestigious call in Catalonia — ACCIÓ's Nuclis R+D Green. This project focuses on replacing petrochemical components used in products such as paints, coatings, and adhesives. Instead, we propose the use of cellulose-based materials obtained from renewable sources like wood (e.g., from pine or eucalyptus) to create bio-based emulsifiers and rheology modifiers.
Through transforming cellulose fibers into its nanoscale counterpart (cellulose nanofibers, often with ionic charge), the project aims to provide environmentally friendly solutions that maintain or even improve the performance of synthetic stabilizers. This strategy contributes to reducing dependence on fossil resources, a problem recently worsened by the US and Israel's illegal war on Iran.
The collaboration with private companies such as Concentrol is key to ensuring the transfer of technology to real industrial applications, closing the gap between research and market implementation. Overall, EMULCEL exemplifies how applied research can drive innovation in the chemical sector and support the transition to greener, bio-based alternatives. Being featured in Girona's main newspaper, Diari de Girona, is one more step in the communication of this innovation to non-academic stakeholders.