Team grows: R&D

Tony Tiainen, PhD, has been appointed as R&D Manager for Montinutra Ltd. Tony’s academic background lies in polymer chemistry and thesis themed on the synthesis, modification and stabilization of hybrid materials, which provides an excellent starting point to develop new functional and sustainable products from Spruce and other wood-based side streams. Previously Tony was working for Sulapac in the development of biocomposites.

“In order to increase the demand for bio-based and sustainable products, we need to be at the forefront to apply the technology and science from current high tech to new raw materials to develop products that perform well, are circular and more conscious of the limited resources available. This will not only produce results that benefit the materials industry but also will inspire new ideas and innovations to benefit the planet. We are very lucky to be working at a time of big changes in chemistry and chemical industry, inching forward step by step. For example, the use of biomass as a filler in composites has been a trending topic in conventional plastics as well as bioplastics industry. At first, biomass was thrown in the mix to increase the bio-content usually resulting in sub-par performance and processing issues. Now, producers don’t have to settle for just using biomass as is but can choose a product and a method more suitable for their needs from the increasing catalogue of raw materials. Let’s hope that somewhere in the future, we can look back and think “what was so hard?” while having a sip of coffee from a mug produced from sustainable materials, that lasts as long as needed, is completely biodegradable and can be recycled back to its building blocks to be used in a brand new golf club or as a reagent in chemical synthesis in the next circle of its life”, says Tony.

Welcome Tony!