ECFP awarded two EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account projects  

The team at ECFP are making a strong start to 2025 with not one, but two awards from the EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account.

24 January 2025

The EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) is an institutional award granted to the University to support knowledge exchange and impact from EPSRC-themed research. The IAA supports 3 types of projects:

1. Collaborative projects
2. Secondments
3. Commercialisation projects

The ECFP team have been awarded a collaborative project with Aqualution and a commercialisation project to develop a University-owned technology called DAINTech.

Image of a hand santiser being dispensed onto the skin.

The effect of hypochlorous acid on skin health

The collaborative project with Aqualution will be led by Professor David Moore, Chair of Formulation Science. David will work with Aqualution and ECFP researchers to investigate the effect of hypochlorous acid on skin health. The current market is dominated by surfactant or alcoholic hand sanitisers, however anecdotal evidence as well as published studies have shown that these products can cause skin conditions such as dermatitis for some people / patients / consumers. Hypochlorus acid is an alternative, effective active ingredient for hand sanitation and disinfection, and through this project the team will assess whether it has the added benefit of being milder to the skin.

Toothpaste made using DAINTech is squeezed out on to a toothbrush.
A toothpaste formulation made using DAINTech is easily squeezed from the tube, yet holds its own mass well when deposited on the toothbrush.

DAINTech – A platform technology as an alternative to polymers stabilisers in liquid formulations

DAINTech is a patented technology developed by Dr Tiffany Wood, Senior Knowledge Transfer Fellow. It is a novel gel system made of a composite nematic liquid crystalline phase with suspended particles or droplets and has demonstrated desirable rheological properties for formulators along with exceptional stability. The formulation can be constructed of solely sustainable raw materials from abundant sources (such as cellulose) and delivers the same offerings to formulators as polymer stabilisers or thickeners. ECFP have secured an IAA commercialisation project to develop DAINTech by gathering further market research and to facilitate easy adoption of the technology in industry.

Get in touch

ECFP is committed to responsible research and innovation, and the successful delivery of both projects will contribute positively to society and the planet. The collaborative research project with Aqualution will enable the general public, industry and clinical practitioners to be better informed regarding the effects of hand sanitisers and disinfectants on skin health. This will give industry the confidence on which active ingredient to focus on to deliver skin-friendly products to market and will empower the public to make more informed choices when selecting which product to go for. The DAINTech commercialisation project will enable industry to consider alternative solutions and move away from fossil fuel-based polymers for stabilising and thickening formulations. This is a multi-sector issue, as highlighted by the Royal Society of Chemistry’s recent roadmap to sustainable polymers in liquid formulations, and DAINTech provides an exciting alternative to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and lessen our contribution of microplastics into the environment.

Please get in touch if:

  • You are interested in learning more about the EPSRC IAA scheme
  • You would like to follow the development of either project
  • You would like to be involved in the DAINTech commercialisation project

How can we help you?

Please get in contact with us to find out more about ECFP and whether we can help you.