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Self-healing concrete application demonstrates how SENTIALL® biotechnology can leverage controlled release capabilities to enable unprecedented efficiencies.

Corbion, a leading food ingredients and biobased chemicals company, has announced the commercial launch of SENTIALL®, a versatile co-polymer platform that delivers specific, high-value functionalities such as adhesion or controlled release in a range of industries and applications. One of the first successful applications of SENTIALL relates to the project with Green-Basilisk, a spin-out of Delft University of Technology, which collaborated with Corbion in the development of a self-healing concrete.

A team at TU Delft found an innovative way to manufacture a bacteria that, when exposed to oxygen and water, would fill cracks by converting substrates into limestone. By repairing cracks automatically, the durability of concrete structures can be greatly improved while reducing costly maintenance and repair. Corbion provided a key component of the self-healing mechanism that releases the substrate when a crack occurs without affecting the setting time or the strength of the concrete.

“SENTIALL technology offers game-changing functionality in a number of industries,” said Frederik Feddes, vice president Biochemicals at Corbion. “Our collaboration with TU Delft in the development of an enormously important innovation like self-healing concrete shows the kind of innovation this platform makes possible.

“The solutions that offer the greatest value come to fruition when key players from different disciplines come together, share ideas, learnings and insights. At Corbion, we co-create with experts in pharmaceutical, biomedical, agrochemical, cosmetics and household applications,” Feddes added. “We believe this kind of co-creation is what will help us tackle today’s challenges in ways that consider our collective future and deliver lasting value.”

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About Corbion

Corbion is the global market leader in lactic acid, lactic acid derivatives, and a leading company in emulsifiers, functional enzyme blends, minerals, vitamins and algae ingredients. We develop sustainable ingredient solutions to improve the quality of life for people today and for future generations. For over 100 years, we have been uncompromising in our commitment to safety, quality, innovation and performance. Drawing on our deep application and product knowledge, we work side-by-side with customers to make our cutting edge technologies work for them. Our solutions help differentiate products in markets such as food, home & personal care, animal nutrition, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and bioplastics. In 2017, Corbion generated annual sales of € 891.7 million and had a workforce of 1,794 FTE. Corbion is listed on Euronext Amsterdam.

About Green-Basilisk

Green-Basilisk is the Delft University of Technology spin-out offering self-healing concrete solutions. The company has developed a self-healing agent that can be added to repair products or virgin concrete and that closes cracks in the concrete. Green-Basilisk's solutions increase the durability and service lifetime of concrete structures, whilst decreasing maintenance and repair costs as well as related downtime. A patented technique was developed in cooperation with Henk Jonkers, Erik Schlangen and Sybrand van der Zwaag. Green-Basilisk was founded by its CEO Bart van der Woerd. In 2017 Green-Basilisk was financed by Shift Invest and has sufficient resources to take the next steps towards sustainable construction.