BioPowder expands capabilities with Gebrüder Dorfner partnership

BioPowder (Birkikara, Malta), a responsible producer and supplier of high-grade fruit stone powders and bio-based abrasives, has formed a strategic alliance with Gebrüder Dorfner GmbH & Co. Kaolin- und Kristallquarzsand-Werke KG (Dorfner, Hirschau, Germany), an expert in the refinement and application of minerals and filler systems. The partnership combines BioPowder’s core competency in sustainable plant-based additives — which can be used in composites, coatings and more — with Dorfner’s expertise in application engineering, creating product development opportunities and unlocking new areas of research.

According to Kathrin Schilling, managing director of BioPowder, “Through this collaboration, we expect to enter and serve new markets, offering formulators novel solutions with functional, aesthetic and environmental advantages.”

Specifically, the two companies will develop a new line of plant-based functional fillers and color particles that can complement conventional quartz and kaolin particles. Obtained from agricultural sidestreams, these natural additives work as colored granules or ultrafine fillers in coatings, composite materials or flooring systems. Customers can also leverage Dorfner’s surface treatment and application lab capabilities to develop bespoke lines of Olea FP (functional powders) according to their specific requirements.

“At BioPowder, we believe in taking sustainability to the next level while setting new standards for product and service quality,” Schilling says. “This collaboration represents a significant change in the way both our businesses address the needs of the paints, coatings and composites market. And together, we will unlock the potential of bio-additives for eco-friendly developments in the market and beyond.”