A Scottish company by the name of CelluComp has turned to root vegetables such as beets and carrots to produce a manufacturing additive with a wide range of possible applications. The company's product, called Curran, offers rheological and mechanical properties that can provide benefits for products such as paints and coatings, as well as for personal care products, home care products, cosmetics, concrete, drilling fluids, composites and others.
While the product can be used in a wide range of applications, the company is focusing on the paint and coatings industry, which represent a $3 billion industry. Currently at least one paint manufacturer is using the additive to strengthen paint and add greater flexibility to its paints. According to an article in the UK's Telegraph, the company announced plans this past spring to take production of its product from 15 tons to 50 tons, thanks to a new production facility.
This short video tells more about how the product came about and its current applications.