Overall
At CuanTec, we make very high-quality Chitosan from fully traceable “raw shell” feedstock for customers in the biomedical, water purification and agri-chemical sectors, who demand the best product performance, supply chain transparency and minimal environmental impact.
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We are experts in Chitosan formulation and production at industrial scale, comprising multiple formats (flake, powder or solution) for the convenience and benefit of our customers.
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We are passionate about developing the products that customers want and need, and ensuring we are carbon negative in our work.
Environmental Commitments
CuanTec started in 2017 in Scotland with a desire to make a positive difference to the environmental. 7 years later, our commitment to the environment remains strong and our accreditation to ISO 14001 for environmental management systems underpins this.
Our process is not just about recycling a product- it is upcycling a byproduct into a series of new and valuable products:
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We use the major byproduct component (raw shell) from the shellfish industry, which otherwise has few uses and is most often discarded as a waste. By using this material as a feedstock, CuanTec is not only reducing negative environmental impact, but also providing a beneficial social impact by investing funds into the shell-fishing industry.
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We make Chitosan products which can replace the fossil-fuel-based alternatives. Within applications such as water purification or waste water treatment chitosan can replace aluminium salts or speed up the formation of and reduce the volume of sludge produced, as well as reduce the potential environmental impact of this sludge.
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The biomedical sector has shown that Chitosan-containing products have therapeutic benefits which range from accelerating the healing process all the way up to saving lives in trauma situations (such as industrial accidents or Road Traffic Accidents, where rapidly stopping blood flow is a life-or-death requirement). Such performance, from a byproduct, is very much a Social contribution.
Manufacturing Expertise
CuanTec manufactures at its site in Central Scotland. Working with the onsite laboratory, the manufacturing team can adjust formulations and recipes on a batch-by- batch level to meet customer specific requirements.
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We understand that customers require different Chitosan products for their differing requirements- and we will produce to these differing needs.
We appreciate that customers also require high levels of manufacturing and management competence. We are therefore delighted to have the external recognition of ISO 9001,14001 and 45001, together with our own HACCP process to demonstrate our commitment to professional and safe production.
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With the onsite feedback from potential biomedical and specialist water purification onsite visits, we are confident we can meet their expectations in terms of supplier performance.
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The manufacturing team are also proud that we can match delivery to customers in terms of timings- with a likely maximum time to customer of 4 weeks.​
Product Development Expertise
CuanTec has its own laboratory onsite, with highly-skilled Chitosan scientists conducting analytical and innovation work. The laboratory is directly linked to the manufacturing operations, so the science work encompasses both product development and process development.
Following site visits, new customers and others have commented on the skill level of our people, including their quality management expertise, Chitosan know-how manufacturing capabilities. .
Future Products
Society’s expectations demand more innovation, which must be more environmentally-friendly. As can already be seen from the growth in patent applications across all the globe involving chitosan (the only cationic polysaccharide), a significant upturn in wider chitosan innovation is underway. As a result companies like CuanTec and many others are generating new products to solve many modern challenges where only chitosan’s unique properties will work. We aim to play a full and active role in this future by collaborating with suppliers and customers alike.
CuanTec is already collaborating with customers to develop future chitosan formats for their anticipated future Chitosan-based products. Today, CuanTec has an onsite laboratory, where its highly-specialised scientists can manage and improve formulations associated with different viscosities and Degrees of Deacetylation. Tomorrow, CuanTec will certainly look at nano-tech-level Chitosan products, as society embraces Chitosan for the most sensitive of uses. CuanTec will also look at future products where traceability and provenance can improve the performance of the final product.