TECHNOLOGY

What is Curran®?

Curran® exhibits unique properties that, when added to other materials, improve performance, enhance sustainability and create value.

What is Curran®?

Curran® exhibits unique properties that, when added to other materials, improve performance, enhance sustainability and create value.

TECHNOLOGY

What is Curran®?

TECHNOLOGY

We are a team of scientists and business leaders dedicated to building a portfolio of sustainable materials to create material change. We are Scottish-based and have operations in the U.S.A.

TECHNOLOGY

What is Curran?

Curran® improves performance, enhances sustainability and creates value.

TECHNOLOGY

What is Curran?

Curran® improves performance, enhances sustainability and creates value.

PRODUCTS

Curran® improves performance, enhances sustainability and creates value.

What is Curran?

TECHNOLOGY

What is Curran?

Curran® improves performance, enhances sustainability and creates value.

TECHNOLOGY

What is Curran?

Curran® improves performance, enhances sustainability and creates value.

Strength

Retains the inherent strength of cellulose structures in the cell wall.

Sustainable by design

Sourced from nature. Engineered for high-performance applications.

Shape Advantage

Platelet shape provides strength in multiple directions unlike typical one-dimension fibres.

Processability

Micron-sized format enables easy hydration, handling, mixing and processing.

Biomimetic by nature. Engineered for innovation.

Curran®

Micron-sized. Naturally Strong.

Curran®

MICRON-SIZED PLATELETS

Easy to Handle
Simple to Process
Unlocks Performance in Practical Ways

Extremely thin Micron-sized platelets embedded in native scaffold of cell wall.

Properties of Curran®

Curran® is inherently water-compatible and is designed for integration into water-based systems. The end of each platelet expose active hydroxyl (OH) groups, resulting in high water-binding capacity and multifunctional performance.

Emulsification capability
Particle suspension
pH stability (range 2–12)

Shear-thinning rheology modification
Thixotropic behavior
Compatibility with other rheology modifiers
Strength

CURRAN® PLATELET

Curran® Forms a Film

Importantly, Curran® forms a film on its own when the product is dried. The characteristics of this film are multi-oriented strength and toughness, smoothness and both grease and oxygen barrier. Curran® films can be both laminated one on top of the other or onto other substrates such as paper or molded fibre.

Curran® films may be formed on substrates such as paper or molded fiber, supporting packaging and coating applications.

Curran® vs. Wood-Based MFC

Because Curran® is produced from root vegetable parenchyma cell walls, its platelet structure retains embedded fibrils within a native scaffold.

This allows Curran® to deliver many of the performance characteristics associated with wood-based MFC—such as strength, rheology control, and high aspect ratio—while mitigating common processing challenges.

Compared to Wood-based MFC, Curran® Offers:

Broader product variability
Reduced tendency toward irreversible gelling
Resistance to hornification during drying
Improved drainage behaviour
Unique rehydration capability after drying

Sustainability & Safety Profile Comparison:

Curran® differs fundamentally from conventional wood-derived micro fibrillated cellulose in morphology, feedstock origin, and processing behaviour.

Derived from root vegetable waste streams
Secondary by-product feedstock
No competition with food-growing land
Mild, benign chemistry
Micron-scale platelets

Derived from trees
Primary fibre source
Land-use competition
More intensive chemical processing
Primarily nano-scale fibres

Sustainability & Safety Profile Comparison:

Curran® differs fundamentally from conventional wood-derived micro fibrillated cellulose in morphology, feedstock origin, and processing behaviour.

Derived from root vegetable waste streams
Secondary by-product feedstock
No competition with food-growing land
Mild, benign chemistry
Micron-scale platelets

Derived from trees
Primary fibre source
Land-use competition
More intensive chemical processing
Primarily nano-scale fibres

Curran® vs. Wood-Based MFC

Because Curran® is produced from root vegetable parenchyma cell walls, its platelet structure retains embedded fibrils within a native scaffold.

Compared to Wood-based MFC, Curran® Offers:

Broader product variability
Reduced tendency toward irreversible gelling
Resistance to hornification during drying
Improved drainage behaviour
Unique rehydration capability after drying

Derived from root vegetable waste streams
Secondary by-product feedstock
No competition with food-growing land
Mild, benign chemistry
Micron-scale platelets

Sustainability & Safety Profile Comparison:

Curran® differs fundamentally from conventional wood-derived micro fibrillated cellulose in morphology, feedstock origin, and processing behaviour.

Derived from trees
Primary fibre source
Land-use competition
More intensive chemical processing
Primarily nano-scale fibres

Sustainability & Safety Profile Comparison:

Curran® differs fundamentally from conventional wood-derived micro fibrillated cellulose in morphology, feedstock origin, and processing behaviour.

Derived from root vegetable waste streams
Secondary by-product feedstock
No competition with food-growing land
Mild, benign chemistry
Micron-scale platelets

Derived from trees
Primary fibre source
Land-use competition
More intensive chemical processing
Primarily nano-scale fibres

How is Curran® Made?

CelluComp has developed an advanced proprietary process for the production of patented Curran®

Curran® is produced using sugar beet pulp generated as a by-product of sugar extraction. After sucrose removal, the remaining pulp provides a cellulose-rich feedstock. This controlled process preserves structural performance while minimizing energy, water, and chemical intensity.

Collection & Preparation

Sugar beet pulp is sourced directly from the sugar processing stream

STAGE 1

Thermal & Mild Chemical Treatment

The pulp is heated and lightly treated to remove residual soluble sugars, fully neutralize the chemistry, and partially liberate the cell wall matrix

STAGE 2

Washing & Purification

Remaining soluble components are removed from the cell wall structure

STAGE 3

Mechanical Fibrillation

The purified material is subjected to controlled mechanical grinding to generate micron-scale platelets with exposed nano-fibrillated ends

STAGE 4

DRYING & PACKAGING

The resulting material is dried, packaged, and prepared for shipment.

STAGE 5

Why Root Vegetables ...

and Why Sugar Beets?

Root vegetables possess distinct parenchyma cell wall structures that differ significantly from wood fibre. These cell walls contain cellulose microfibrils embedded within a hemicellulose-pectin matrix. When portions of the pectin and hemicellulose are selectively removed, the cellulose microfibrils become partially liberated while remaining structurally integrated within the platelet. These liberated fibrils form the functional backbone of Curran®.

Sugar beets represent an optimal commercial feedstock due to:

Approximately 294 million metric tons grown globally each year
Significant generation of sugar beet pulp (approximately 15 million metric tons dry weight annually)
Centralised and consistent pulp supply from sugar factories
Extended processing seasons in regions such as Minnesota, where winter storage enables prolonged factory operations
These characteristics provide scalability, logistical efficiency, and feedstock security

Get in touch

enquiries ﻿

What is Curran®?

Curran® exhibits unique properties that, when added to other materials, improve performance, enhance sustainability and create value.

What is Curran®?

Curran® exhibits unique properties that, when added to other materials, improve performance, enhance sustainability and create value.

What is Curran®?

We are a team of scientists and business leaders dedicated to building a portfolio of sustainable materials to create material change. We are Scottish-based and have operations in the U.S.A.

What is Curran?

Curran® improves performance, enhances sustainability and creates value.

What is Curran?

Curran® improves performance, enhances sustainability and creates value.

Curran® improves performance, enhances sustainability and creates value.

What is Curran?

What is Curran?

Curran® improves performance, enhances sustainability and creates value.

What is Curran?

Curran® improves performance, enhances sustainability and creates value.

Biomimetic by nature. Engineered for innovation.

Curran®

Micron-sized. Naturally Strong.

Properties of Curran®

CURRAN® PLATELET

Curran® Forms a Film

Curran® vs. Wood-Based MFC

Compared to Wood-based MFC, Curran® Offers:

Sustainability & Safety Profile Comparison:

Sustainability & Safety Profile Comparison:

Curran® vs. Wood-Based MFC

Compared to Wood-based MFC, Curran® Offers:

Sustainability & Safety Profile Comparison:

Sustainability & Safety Profile Comparison:

Curran® differs fundamentally from conventional wood-derived micro fibrillated cellulose in morphology, feedstock origin, and processing behaviour.

How is Curran® Made?

CelluComp has developed an advanced proprietary process for the production of patented Curran®

Curran® is produced using sugar beet pulp generated as a by-product of sugar extraction. After sucrose removal, the remaining pulp provides a cellulose-rich feedstock. This controlled process preserves structural performance while minimizing energy, water, and chemical intensity.

Collection & Preparation

Thermal & Mild Chemical Treatment

Washing & Purification

Mechanical Fibrillation

DRYING & PACKAGING

Why Root Vegetables ...

﻿and Why Sugar Beets?

enquiries

and Why Sugar Beets?