720417Development of Next Generation Eco-valve for AerosolsClosedGRD Development of PrototypeInnovate UKLiquefied petroleum gas is the most popular aerosol propellant c.84% of global mkt, however it is unsustainable as it extracted from depleting, non-renewable resources (natural gas & oil); contributes substantially to VOC emissions; & it is highly explosive & flammable & thus surrounded by H&S regulations which drive up the cost of all associated activities. Compressed inert gas (air or nitrogen) is an alternative aerosol propellant offering major advantages over LPGs: renewable resource,non-explosive/flammable, H&S regulations no longer apply therefore lower life cycle cost. However, its use is limited when used in conjunction with a standard aerosol valve: the pressure in the can drops as product is used & thus spray characteristics deteriorate (unacceptable variations in particle size & discharge flow rates). To address this issue, The Salford Valve Company has developed & patented, at lab scale, a unique suite of aerosol valves ‘Eco-valve’, which enable a standard aerosol to function effectively using a compressed gas propellant without the need for specialist technology. Advantages include: excellent spray characteristics over lifecycle of the can; step change in performance compared to current technology; standard filling technique& components & can be fitted to a standard can; suitable for all applications & industry sectors incl. metered & continuous flow. The company now seek to advance 3 Eco-valve types from bench top to pre-production prototype (applicable to c.90% of aerosol applications): Super Single Gasket, Metered & Low Loss. Scale up will involve further design & development of the valves & pre-production moulds to ensure the valves can be mass produced at levels demanded by the global mkt. With the global aerosol valve mkt already a $617M industry & with significant policy drivers for environmentally friendly & safe consumer products, the development of the Eco-valve represents a major business opportunity, with mkt entry expected in Q4 2015