Let’s clean up the way we make ethylene.
You might not know what ethylene is, but odds are you’re using it right now. Products made from ethylene are a ubiquitous feature of modern life. Skin care products, medical equipment, plastic bags, and even car seat cushions begin their lives as this limitlessly adaptable chemical feedstock.
But where does ethylene come from?
Oil, gas and coal!
For decades, fossil fuels have been an ideal starting point for creating ethylene because of its rich and versatile carbon content. Unfortunately, extracting and processing all that material comes with enormous environmental costs. It’s time to build a better way to manufacture ethylene.
Let’s make ethylene from carbon dioxide.
Three Toronto companies — Pulsenics, CERT Systems, and Phycus Biotechnologies — have been awarded a multi-million dollar grant from Canadian funder NGen to develop a new supply chain that uses CO2 as the primary input for ethylene-based products like cosmetics and cleaning agents. This new value chain will incentivize Canadian industry to prevent carbon dioxide from reaching the atmosphere, or even remove it from ambient air, by providing a profitable off-ramp for waste CO2. It also avoids many of the environmental costs of chemicals derived from fossil fuels.
So, who are we?
- Phycus Biotechnologies produces Purolic™, a USDA Certified Biobased Product, from an ethylene base. Purolic Acid supports end-use products like cosmetics, adhesives, and polymers for packaging or textiles.
- CERT Systems uses Direct CO2 Electrolysis to convert carbon dioxide emissions into ethylene using only water and electricity. This clean ethylene can be directly dropped into existing value chains to make sustainable products with the same performance and quality.
- Pulsenics makes diagnostic devices that monitor and optimize electrochemical conversions, enabling both CERT and Phycus to make their respective products as affordably as possible.
Let’s imagine a future where modern conveniences don’t extract a huge penalty on our planet. With the support of NGen, our three companies are standing up a new Canadian value chain with massive economic potential.