Scaling-up the environmentally friendly production of Perspex®
Research by Cardiff University provided the global Perspex® industry with a cost-effective production process, which could be used at scale, delivering significant economic and environmental benefits.
Polymethyl methacrylate, or Perspex®, is a material used in almost all industries and has a variety of applications. Its precursor material, methyl methacrylate (MMA), is a globally traded commodity. Researchers in the School of Chemistry, in collaboration with industry partner Lucite International (formally ICI Acrylics, and now part of the Mitsubishi Group), produced the key ligand of the ALPHA process, which enabled industrial-scale manufacture of methyl methacrylate (MMA).
Perspex®, was invented by ICI Chemicals in the 1930s. It is a highly lucid, clear plastic, that's lightweight with high tensile strength. It can be found in a variety of products including aquariums, mobile phones, televisions, and computer monitors. Perspex® has played a key part during the COVID-19 pandemic, as screens made from the material have been used in shops, offices and restaurants helping to keep staff and customers safe.
The precursor material to Perspex®, methyl methacrylate (MMA) was traditionally created using toxic and corrosive chemicals, such as hydrogen cyanide and sulphuric acid. These materials (or feedstocks) raised production costs and limited the scale of industrial manufacture.
Lucite International is a global leader in the design, development, and manufacture of acrylic products, with 22 plants across 14 locations worldwide. They wanted to establish a new economically and environmentally friendly catalyst for the future manufacture of MMA. They sought the expertise of Professor Peter Edwards and Dr Paul Newman in the School of Chemistry, who had over 20 years’ experience working on the underpinning chemistry of catalyst preparation.
Dr Newman and Professor Edwards’ research in the late 1990s developed synthesis of the key catalyst ligand ultimately enabling the ALPHA process for the highly efficient production of MMA.
The process achieved greater efficiency than competing MMA production methods, reducing costs by 40%, while removing environmentally harmful process chemicals and subsequently reducing waste.
Once the process had been identified, continuing research explored the applied chemistry to enable an efficient and cost-effective application of the ALPHA process at industrial scale.