Biopolymer

About Biopolymer

Biopolymer, formerly Biomicrogels Group, is an industrial chemistry manufacturer based in Yekaterinburg, Russia. The company has developed and produced reagents for water and surface cleaning since 2012. It was founded by Andrey Elagin, who holds a PhD in Chemical Technology and leads the company as general director. The core technology is Biomicrogels, modified polysaccharides in the form of microgels that are 100% biodegradable and made from agricultural by-products such as cellulose, apple pomace, sugar beet pulp and corn starch. Its products combine this biopolymer base with polyacrylamide side chains, which neutralise the charge of particles and bind them into large flocs.

The reagents are now sold under the Aquavalent brand as flocculants and coagulants. They are used to treat industrial wastewater and to separate oils, fats and petroleum products from water. Other applications include process water for stone processing, tailings treatment, spent metalworking fluid treatment, food industry effluents and technical detergents. Earlier it also supplied palm oil producers in Southeast Asia, where its reagents increased oil extraction, and it sold the WONDER LAB consumer home care brand. It also offers contract manufacturing of industrial chemicals.

The company says it has more than 100 patents, four laboratories and an R&D centre, annual reagent production of over 6,500 tonnes and more than 1,000 customers in Russia, the CIS, the Middle East and South and Southeast Asia. It reports more than 180 employees. The business operates under the new name OOO Biopolymer and the website biopolymer.eco, after previously trading as Biomicrogels Group.