Kureha and US Startup Claros Technologies in Joint Development Agreement
Kureha Corporation announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary Kureha America Inc. and US-based startup, Claros Technologies, Inc. (Claros) have signed a joint development agreement to develop a PFAS capture and destruction technology platform.
TOKYO and HOUSTON, May 10, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Kureha Corporation announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary Kureha America Inc. and US-based startup, Claros Technologies, Inc. (Claros) have signed a joint development agreement to develop a PFAS capture and destruction technology platform.
Claros is granted a technology license from the University of Minnesota that enables the synthesis of nanoparticles inside various substrates, leading to a new generation of sustainable functional textile, and selective sorbents to clean water from pollutants, including Per - and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
PFAS, widely used in various industries, are toxic and persistent in the environment as these chemicals do not naturally degrade. Claros' product, ClarosafeÒ PFAS sorbent, can efficiently capture PFAS and produce safer water. Additionally, Claros has advanced PFAS analytical capabilities and is currently developing a complete destruction process for PFAS that is effective and safe, by breaking the fluorine-carbon bond and generating harmless by-products such as fluorine and carbon dioxide. This disruptive technology permanently eliminates PFAS, as opposed to landfill and incineration or other technologies that re-emit the chemicals into the environment in different forms. Combining these technologies, Claros is aiming to establish a PFAS remediation ecosystem that includes analysis, removal, and destruction.
By establishing a strategic partnership through this agreement with Claros, Kureha aims to accelerate the joint development of sustainable solutions for PFAS and fulfill our social responsibility as a chemical manufacturer while expanding its business portfolio.
As part of its mid-term management plan "Kureha's Challenge 2022", Kureha is actively exploring businesses opportunities globally and accelerating open innovation with startups that show potential synergies.
"As one of chemical companies having fluorine products in its portfolio, mitigating the environmental impact of PFAS is an essential role for Kureha to address. Claros's total PFAS solution has a great fit to Kureha's assets, which also include analytical and waste management functions. I believe this strategic partnership can accelerate creating a lot of innovations." said Naomitsu Nishihata, President of Kureha America.
"We know our technology will be transformational in helping the world address this threat, and now with Kureha, we have a partner who is ready to put our systems into real-world applications. The values of our companies align and we are excited by the way the Kureha team balances diligence with a desire to move fast." Said Michelle Bellanca, Claros' CEO".
"Claros and Kureha's ambition is to offer the industry sustainable and science-based alternatives to current practices. PFAS pollution is an urgent global challenge, and it can only be solved by permanently destroying PFAS and by doing it on a global scale", said Dr. Abdennour Abbas, Founder and CTO.
*Details of the joint development agreement between Kureha and Claros are not disclosed.
About Claros Technologies Inc.
Claros is an advanced materials company that designs and develops sustainable materials and solutions for a circular economy. Claros proprietary technology platforms have been used to develop sustainable functional textile such as antimicrobial, UV-resistant and anti-odor textiles; to develop water sorbents to capture and destroy pollutants such as PFAS and mercury, and to develop sorbents and processes for the recovery and reuse of industrially useful metals. Claros motto is to "solve problems without creating new ones". For more information, visit https://clarostechnologies.com/
About Kureha Corporation:
Kureha Corporation is a manufacturer of highly original specialty chemicals and plastics that leverages proprietary technologies to develop products in the fields of advanced materials, agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and packaging materials. Since its establishment in 1944, Kureha has utilized its strengths in technology and innovation to provide a wide range of solutions suited to the market needs of each era. For more information, visit https://www.kureha.co.jp/
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For inquiries about this news release, please contact Kureha America Inc.
Tel: 1-281-916-1633
Media Contact
Shunsuke Abe, Kureha America Inc., 1 281-916-1633 Ext: 111, [email protected]
SOURCE Kureha America Inc.
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