I am the Director of Research at Miyoshi, a world leader in cosmetic pigment surface treatment. This technology involves applying hydrophobic molecules to pigments to improve their water resistance and feel. Synthetic polymers make up a significant portion of these molecules, raising regulatory questions in light of European restrictions on microplastics.

These regulations primarily target solid plastic particles. However, our treatment agents are present in monomolecular form on the surface of the pigments. If these molecules could be considered liquid, they would be excluded from the regulatory scope. It is therefore essential to demonstrate their fluidity and minimal interaction with the substrate – a complex task in the absence of an established analytical method.

It was in this context that I met Infranalytics in 2021 at the Carnot Meeting. Alicia understood our problem and proposed concrete approaches. We started by studying two polymers, PDMS and PHMS. Thanks to Olivier's team at the University of Lille, we showed using NMR that their modes of binding to pigments differ significantly, one exhibiting considerably greater fluidity despite a similar molecular structure.

These results were presented at the IFSCC 2022 international congress in London, generating considerable interest. In 2023, the Japanese company Daito Kasei Kogyo, our global competitor, joined the project. One of their researchers completed a one-month internship at the University of Lille, which subsequently led to him becoming the project's Japanese point of contact.

Since 2024, a doctoral student has been participating in the project, which is currently ongoing. This collaboration allows us to deepen our research, enrich our knowledge of binding mechanisms and their functional effects, and pave the way for new ideas for the development of innovative products.

We are proud of this open collaboration between industry and researchers, and grateful to Infranalytics for making this dynamic possible.