Industry shaping technologies identified

14th of June 2011
Industry shaping technologies identified

An international panel of cleaning industry professionals has defined the technologies most likely to change the direction of the industry over the next decade.

From an initial list of 37 developments in the domestic and industrial sectors, the experts - invited by market research consultancy IntertechPira - identified 21 as having the biggest potential and greatest chance of being achieved. From that the 10-Year Forecast of Disruptive Technologies in Cleaning Products to 2020 has been compiled.

Among the key findings are:

• Textile surface treatments will reduce the need for washing

• The elimination of phosphates in domestic detergents will be extended to include detergents

• The detergent, REACH and biocide regulations will make it more difficult to introduce new substances into cleaning formulations

• The low-temperature performance of surfactants will improve

• Biotechnology will enable the molecular structure of renewable bio-ingredients to be modified to improve their cleaning performance

• The low temperature performance of enzymes will be improved

• The compatibility of enzymes with other detergent ingredients will be improved

• The concentration of cleaning formulations will continue to be increased, reducing the need for packaging

• The popularity of wipes will increase, particularly for surface cleaning applications

• Research techniques such as high-throughput screening, and modelling and simulation technologies willbe introduced

• The increased use of microprocessors, sensors and automatic metering of detergents will reduce the energy, water and detergent required.

IntertechPira says the technologies with the greatest impact are those connected to legislation. For example, the panellists believed the detergent legislation banning the use of phosphate builders would be extended to automatic dishwashing detergents and eventually to institutional and industrial detergents cleaners within the next decade.

They also agreed legislation would restrict the introduction of new technology by dramatically increasing the costs of introducing new compounds.

IntertechPira says the panellists are all active in the cleaning products industry, working in different sectors - domestic and industrial detergents, ingredients suppliers, formulators and consumers – and are based in Europe, North America and the Middle East.

The full report is now available. Visit www.intertechpira.com/IntertechPira-market-reports

 

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