PROJECT R&D+I

TITLE
UV-FILTERS - NEW UV FILTERS AND THEIR PRODUCTION METHOD

HIGHLIGHTS
Valuation of cod bones, a by-product of the food industry in Portugal, for the production of
a product that absorbs UV radiation, through a highly innovative process.

ABSTRACT
Portugal is the world's largest consumer of cod, generating in its processing huge amounts of
pimples, a byproduct that can be valued, since its main component is hydroxyapatite, a calcium
phosphate with high biocompatibility and bioactivity, widely used in biomedicine. Due to these
properties, HAp is a very suitable material for the production of a sunscreen.

The product produced from cod spines (FEHAP) is a powder that absorbs UV radiation and
therefore can be used as sunscreen. To assess its potential as an active sunscreen component, the
product obtained was incorporated into a cream. However, the potential applications of FEHAP
are more extensive, and their application in the textile and biomedicine sectors is foreseen.
The solution developed has innovative features, since, for the first time:

 A sunscreen was manufactured with a by-product from the food industry - unlike other
commercial inorganic sunscreens, FEHAP powder absorbs the entire UV range, both UVA
(320-400 nm) and UVB (280-320 nm).

 A powdered material made of HAp, Fe2O3 and Ca9FeH (PO4) 7 was tested as sunscreen
and incorporated into a cream.

Although the protection intensity has not yet reached the commercials and is currently under
study for the properties described above, the product has the potential to reach the market.

KEYWORDS
Cod Bones, Ultraviolet Rays, Solar Filters, Circular Economy, Patent.

PROMOTERS / PARTNERS
Escola Superior de Biotecnologia – Universidade Católica Portuguesa (coordinator); CICECO – Universidade de
Aveiro; Inovopotek.

FINANCING PROGRAM EXECUTION DATE GLOBAL BUDGET

NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-026442 2017-2018 € 49 568,30

CONTACTS E-MAIL PHONE

Eduardo Luís Cardoso ecardoso@porto.ucp.pt +351 22 55 800 71