水溶性口香糖

£10 million for Bristol spin-out company, Revolymer Ltd

Press release issued 7 May 2008

Revolymer Ltd, the Bristol University spin-out company behind a chewing gum that can be easily removed from pavements and other surfaces, has secured an investment of £10 million.

Formed as a spin-out company from Bristol University in October 2005, Revolymer is a technology company focused on the development of new polymers, used in everyday synthetic items including fabric, rubber and plastic. These polymers have enhanced physical properties manufactured from existing commodity polymers.

The company was developed by Terence Cosgrove, Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University after he set out to provide a solution to products that had a secondary detrimental effect such as chewing gum removability.

The £10 million has been raised from a syndicate of investors led by the IP Group plc, an intellectual property (IP) commercialisation company that specialises in commercialising university technology. Funds managed by Top Technology Ventures Limited, a subsidiary of IP Group plc, have invested £0.8 million in the financing. The remaining £9.2 million was raised from institutional and private investors.

现在，布里斯托尔大学（University of Bristol）开设的一家公司Revolymer开发出水溶性口香糖，可以节省每年1.5亿英镑清除人行道上口香糖的经费。

水溶性口香糖和一般口香糖有一样的口感和味道，但是这种“清洁口香糖”掉落在人行道上24小时之后就会溶解。

一般口香糖是由合成乳胶制作的，不受天候影响，而且具有很强的黏性。

但是水溶性口香糖是由一种新的申请专利的聚合物制作而成，并不具有黏性。

这项研究发明已经获得了1,000万英镑的赞助经费，最快明年就会上市。

研究发明

布里斯托尔大学的研究人员耗费三年时间，从200多种成分制作出超过1,000种不同的口香糖，试图找到“最像口香糖的口香糖”。

过去，清洁人员必须利用各种设备，包括急速冷冻装置、腐蚀性化学剂和高压蒸汽装置来清除人行道上的口香糖残渣。

但是研究人员表示，他们发明的口香糖配方可以在几个小时内就能溶解于水。

环保团体表示，最理想的做法是吃完口香糖不要随地乱吐，但是这很难做到，所以水溶性口香糖是很好的办法。

研究人员说，类似的化学配方还可以用在油漆涂料里，这样在街头墙壁的涂鸦就可以轻易的去除掉。