Recreaire carbonate ethoxylates from Econic Technologies is a first-of-its-kind family of surfactants based on carbon dioxide (CO₂). These new surfactants use carbon dioxide as a raw material, replacing traditional oleochemicals and a portion of fossil-based materials while improving sustainability, performance, and cost at scale. 

Recreaire is a flexible platform technology that can deliver sustainable analogues to a wide range of alkoxylate surfactants. Including varying amounts of CO₂ (up to 45% by weight) introduces new properties to the molecules, which can offer unique benefits for applications in the cleaning, personal care, coatings, agrochemical, and metalworking industries.

To demonstrate proof of concept, Econic is showcasing three fatty alcohol ethoxylate (FAE) alternatives for surfactants manufacturers who may be interested in commercializing the technology. The company will highlight these at the ACI Future of Surfactants Summit in Rotterdam on June 11 and 12.

All Recreaire carbonate ethoxylates are biodegradable, colorless, odorless, and have no detectable 1,4-dioxane. An independent Life Cycle Analysis shows they deliver up to a 65% reduction in global warming potential (GWP) compared to conventional fatty alcohol ethoxylates. This figure climbs to 75% when comparing the hydrophobe components of Recreaire FAE replacements to conventional fatty alcohols.

"We’re at the beginning of an exciting journey. Recreaire is a game-changing technology that solves customers’ long-term needs for scalable and sustainable, high-performing products," said Simon Bennett, the company’s commercial director for surfactants.

"Recreaire surfactants deliver compelling technical and sustainability performance by unlocking the benefits of CO₂. Our team has been working with one of the world’s leading consumer goods companies to deliver new opportunities, and we are excited to be extending the Recreaire technology further to a range of other markets," said Anthea Blackburn, Econic's technical director for surfactants.

The launch of Recreaire is the most recent addition to Econic's portfolio of renewable carbon technologies. The company also offers polyols based on carbon dioxide. It has several manufacturing partners and commercial agreements with polyol producers in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Econic Technologies is a UK-based deep tech company focused on renewable carbon. Its innovative catalyst and process technology allows manufacturers to produce polymers based on CO₂ instead of petrochemicals. Founded in 2011 by Dr. Charlotte Williams at Imperial College London, Econic is part of Cleantech Group’s Global Cleantech 100. Its global headquarters are in Alderley Park, UK, just outside of Manchester. Learn more about www.econic-technologies.com.