Research partnership with Warwick Manufacturing Group

James Walker has partnered with the International Institute for Nanocomposites Manufacturing (IINM), WMG (Warwick Manufacturing Group) at the University of Warwick, on a 24-month collaboration with Professor Chaoying Wan's team to develop novel high performance sealing compounds which will be compliant with future PFAS regulation.The research programme will use high throughput techniques to develop and identify novel elastomer compounds that comply with proposed PFAS regulations, for use in critical industrial applications.

On February 7th 2023, the European Chemicals Agency announced a proposal for the European Economic Area that will effectively lead to a ban on all PFAS materials, due to their persistence in the environment. Further regulation of PFAS are also being assessed by other governments across the globe.

Conventional high performance sealing compounds rely on PFAS (Per- and Poly- FluoroAlkyl Substances) as these materials are resistant to extremes of temperature and aggressive chemicals. PFAS are essential to the semi-conductor, aerospace, petrochemical, defence and nuclear industries for example, and there are currently no suitable replacement materials available. Alternative sealing materials are urgently needed to substitute PFAS.

Dr Mike Eason, Technical and Quality Director at James Walker commented. "Industrial dependence on PFAS elastomers is a global issue with supply chain impact already seen. I am delighted that we will work with Professor Wan and her team to identify and develop materials which will help industry be compliant with the proposed regulations. This partnership will accelerate James Walker’s development of seal materials for critical industry. WMG has small scale, advanced, mixing capability, with knowhow regarding nanofillers and polymer science that will allow James Walker to rapidly design, manufacture and screen bench-scale test formulations. I believe the combination of James Walker’s history and expertise in critical industrial sealing together with WMG’s state of the art capabilities will enable rapid development and commercialisation of materials. James Walker is committed to developing solutions to the PFAS regulations faced by global industry."

WMG has an international reputation for working successfully with industry, with a history of partnering with pioneering entities, including Jaguar Land Rover, BAE Systems and Goodyear amongst many others.

This collaboration will draw on the university's extensive expertise in Elastomer and Polymer technology. Professor Chaoying Wan, Professor of Functional Polymers and Nanocomposites at WMG, University of Warwick explains. "Collaborating with James Walker to develop alternatives for PFAS seals is an important and exciting opportunity. Our elastomer research facility is supported by High Value Manufacturing Catapult Centre (HVMC), equipped with the latest technology, including a rubber process analyser (RPA) with wide temperature range - it is the only one in the UK, and one of only a few in the world with the capability to simulate dynamic elastomer performance at very low temperature. This function is extremely useful to compare differences in formulation design for applications such as high pressure or low temperature sealing. I am very much looking forward to working with the James Walker team on the development of new material options for high performance sealing applications and advancing our knowledge of polymer formulation and performance."

The research partnership will commence work in June this year and it is expected that this will provide an important boost to work that James Walker is already undertaking with its customers and supply chain aimed at developing the next generation of sealing solutions, including alternatives to current PFAS options.

Submit a question to James Walker PFAS Project Team by completing our online enquiry form.

About WMG, University of Warwick
WMG is a world leading research and education group, with over 20 different research teams, transforming organisations and driving innovation through a unique combination of collaborative research and development, and pioneering education programmes. WMG is also a High Value Manufacturing Catapult centre, and leads on Net Zero Mobility.

As an international role model for successful partnerships between academia and the private and public sectors, WMG develops advancements nationally and globally, in applied science, technology and engineering, to deliver real impact to economic growth, society and the environment.

Professor Chaoying Wan is the leader of the sustainable elastomer research facility based in the International Institute for Nanocomposites Manufacturing (IINM) at WMG. Formed in 2022 the main scientific focus of the facility is to bring together state-of-the-art research from across rubber composite processing and synthetic polymer chemistry - including manufacturing technology, multiscale characterisation, and prototyping of sustainable rubber products. High performance elastomers are essential components in applications across a range of critical sectors, including vehicle tyres, footwear and automation and high performance sealing.

Capabilities within the elastomer research facility include a twin-roll mill for rubber compounding; automated compression moulding and moving die rheometer (MDR); abrasion testing; and a state of the art dynamic rubber process analyser (RPA), which enables advanced analysis of rubber networks over a temperature range of -40°C to 232°C, and a wide frequency range, as well as unique rheological characterisation at large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS).

Within the IINM there is also a wet chemistry laboratory designed for formulation development, and rubber and nanoparticle functionalisation, as well as polymer characterisation and testing laboratories to support sustainable elastomer research and development.