SALT LAKE CITY / LONDON (IT BOLTWISE) – A University of Utah startup, EnduraCure, has developed an innovative solution to reduce electronic waste. By using degradable polymer materials, valuable electronic components can be recovered, representing a significant step towards a sustainable circular economy.
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Electronic waste is a growing environmental problem worldwide, with many single-use electronic products ending up in landfills or being exported abroad. EnduraCure, a University of Utah startup, has taken on this challenge by developing high-performance polymer substrates that can be chemically broken down to recover valuable electronic components. This innovation could revolutionize the way we deal with electronic waste.
The environmental impact of electronic waste is significant. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, they are among the fastest growing environmental problems in the world. The materials contain valuable precious metals found in circuits, but current disposal processes often leave them in landfills. Toxins such as lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic can leach into the environment and expose waste disposal workers to high levels of pollutants. The National Science Foundation (NSF) and related organizations have therefore encouraged researchers to develop reusable and recoverable solutions.
EnduraCure has responded to this call. Their technology uses a photocured polymerization process to create flexible substrates that achieve the durability of conventional materials during use, but can be broken down in a mild chemical bath at the end of their life to recover valuable components. “It’s about making these products degradable from the start,” explains Dennis Pruzan, CEO of EnduraCure. “We strive for a circular economy and want to reduce the burden on landfills.”
The company is initially focused on flexible electronic substrates and encapsulations used in medical sensors, smart packaging and wearable devices. These applications require both performance and flexibility, making them ideal candidates for EnduraCure’s sustainable alternative to traditional non-recyclable materials.
EnduraCure was created in the laboratory of Dr. Chen Wang in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, where sustainable polymers are the focus of research. Pruzan, who earned his doctorate in materials science from the University of Utah in 2018, was brought back to the lab by Wang after several years in industry. When EnduraCure needed dedicated leadership, Pruzan’s combination of academic training and industry experience made him the ideal choice.
In recent months, Pruzan and his team have moved work out of the lab into a separate business and commercialization space to seek both funding and partners. To bridge the funding gap between academic research and commercialization, EnduraCure secured an Ascender Grant from the Technology Licensing Office, which served as critical interim funding while the team pursued the STTR.
In the coming months, the EnduraCure team plans to seek a manufacturing partner, ideally an electronics company, with whom they can demonstrate environmentally friendly and cost-effective ways to decompose used devices and recover valuable materials at scale. Success would position the company for Phase 2 funding from the NSF.
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