Associate Professor Andrew Ballantyne

Orginially trained in Chemistry at the University of Manchester Institute for Science and Technology (UMIST), I have been involved in research into Green Chemistry and Sustainability since starting my PhD at the University of Manchester in 2004, studying The Synthesis and Physical Properties of Hydrophobic Ionic Liquids with Professor Robert Dryfe and Dr Alan Brisdon. 

After completing my PhD in 2008, I joined the groups of Professor Andrew Abbott and Professor Karl Ryder at the University of Leicester where I was a Post-Doctoral Research Associate studying the application of Deep Eutectic Solvents into a diverse range of applications including starch bioplastics, metal coatings for electronics and engineering applications and solder fluxes. During this time I was able to publish widely regarding the applications of deep eutectic solvents and was named on two patent applications. 

In 2017 I joined Imperial College London, again on a Post-Doctoral position, working for Professor David Payne. During this time I was the co-inventor for a novel approach to the recyling of lead paste from spent lead acid batteris, a technology which has led to a patent and the formation of a spin-out company, Solveteq, to which I am a scientific advisor. 

I joined the Insitute for Creative leather Technologies in November 2017 as a Senior Lecturer and have proceed to be engaged in activities relating to both teaching and research in leather manufacture. I am program leather for the PGCert in Leather Finishing - Automotive, which is run in collaboration with our partners Stahl in The Netherlands. In addition, I lead modules into all aspects of leather manufacturing, with a paerticular interest in sustainable leather development. 

My current research interests span across sustainable development of leather and related materials.

This includes:

• Understanding collagen structure and it's relation to leather manufacture. 
• Identification and use of waste sources and their application into leather manufacture. 
• Intelligent approaches to sustainable leather manufacture.
• Measurement of restricted substances and approaches to their minimisation during the leathe rmanufacturing process. 
• Understaning how approaches to leather manufacture can influence sustainable aspects of leather use and end of life.
• Altenative materials to which the undepinning principles of leather manunfacture may be applied.