Developing cost-effective polyols from UK waste-carbon for digital mass manufacturing
Innovate UK Business Connect is supporting Photocentric to find innovators who can demonstrate a scalable, cost effective route for converting waste-carbon such as biowaste, waste cooking oils, crude glycerol, lignocellulosic residues, waste plastics or waste derived CO2 and other suitable waste-carbon sources, into clean polyols with the consistency and performance required for resin manufacture used in thermoset photopolymer additive manufacturing system. Solutions may offer an innovative full or partial solutions provided it is shown how the proposed work contributes to polyol quality within the overall route from waste-carbon to polyol.
Opportunity
Challenge opens
20/10/2026
Challenge closes
11/12/2026
Benefit
Photocentric is looking to find innovative solutions that enable waste-carbon to be converted into polyols that will be suitable for resin manufacture and use in additive manufacturing of thermoset polymer parts. Successful applicants will have the opportunity to work directly with Photocentric to evaluate, test and develop innovative solutions that can meet the performance, purity, consistency and commercial requirements for targeted polyols. Photocentric will provide access to technical expertise, facilities and data. This may lead to collaborative R&D activities, pilot projects and potential future commercial deployment.
Background
Photocentric Group is a technology led business focused on the design and manufacture of photopolymer resins, 3D printers and advanced manufacturing systems. With operations in the UK and USA, the company serves a range of sectors including manufacturing, automotive tooling and industrial applications.
Under the Photocentric brand, the company has developed an autonomous digital mass additive manufacturing system called JENI, that produces thermoset plastic parts without conventional tooling. JENI uses LCD 3D printing and post-processing nodes connected by high-speed robotics. The system is designed to address some of the key limitations associated with traditional plastic injection moulding, including high tooling costs, long lead times for tooling and production, inflexibility, large minimum production runs, overproduction, inventory waste and environmental inefficiencies.
While injection moulding remains the dominant process for producing plastic parts at scale, it is heavily reliant on highly specified virgin fossil-based materials. Alternative materials derived from waste-carbon sources can present challenges in achieving the consistency and reproducibility required for high-volume consumer and industrial applications. Variability in feedstock composition, contamination levels and processing requirements can all influence the quality and performance of downstream materials.
Photocentric believes that reducing dependence on fossil derived plastics will require alternative waste-carbon sources that can deliver both sustainability benefits and manufacturing performance. Photocentric's primary interest is in utilising existing waste-carbon for the production of polyols that will be suitable for resin manufacture and use in additive manufacturing of thermoset polymer parts. Potential waste-carbon sources may include biowaste, waste cooking oil, crude glycerol, lignocellulosic residues, waste plastics, waste derived CO2 and other suitable alternatives where a credible commercial and environmental case can be demonstrated.
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