Primary Skills

Materials & Design

  • Additives

  • Materials selection

  • Product design and evaluation

  • Thermoplastics

Processing

  • Compounding

  • Extrusion

Sustainability

  • Bioplastics

  • Eco-product design

  • Plastics degradation

  • Recycling and recovery

  • Sustainability management

  • Waste management

Commercial

  • Expert witness

  • Market research

Markets

  • General

  • Packaging

Other Skills

  • Authoring

  • Project management

Other Skills

Materials & Design

  • Functional and reactive polymers/blends

  • Compatibilization additives

Processing

  • Compound and process development

  • Formulation development

Sustainability

  • Biobased (Bio)degradable, Compostable and water-soluble plastics

  • Renewable monomers and plastics

  • Mechanical and chemical recycling and recovery

  • Circular economy

Commercial

  • Technology portfolio analysis and evaluation

Markets

  • Package design and use

What we do

ARGO Group is a global polymer consultancy providing specialized services in chemical and polymer science; materials technology; product, process, market and applications development; and strategic analysis; in North America, Europe, Japan and other international markets. We provide services globally in the following areas:

  • New materials, product, formulation, process, market and applications development in bioplastics (biobased, renewable, (bio)degradable, compostable & anaerobically digestible plastics); water-soluble plastics (particularly polyvinyl alcohol); and superabsorbent polymers.
  • General polymer and plastics formulation, compound and process development.
  • Functional and reactive polymers/blends & compatibilization; polymer modification.
  • Development of biobased and renewable chemicals, monomers, plasticizers, plastics, biofuels & coproducts.
  • Packaging materials and technology, package design and use, environmental issues and sustainability; sustainable packaging.
  • Recycling and recovery technology & end-of-cycle/end-of-life processes (mechanical recycling; chemical, molecular & advanced recycling & recovery; waste-to-monomers, waste-to-feedstocks, waste-to-downstream chemicals, waste-to-fuels); waste management.  Circular Economy.
  • Strategic R&D/business/market analysis, planning and management; research, development and technology portfolio analysis & evaluation; technology due diligence.

Presentations

Bioplastics technology and markets: overview of drivers, developments and trends – November 2020

End-of-life challenge for rigid and flexible plastic packaging – 20 May 2021

Ten-Year Forecast of Disruptive Technologies for Plastic Packaging Recycling and Recovery to 2030

DEVELOPMENTS AND TRENDS IN BIOPLASTICS TECHNOLOGY AND MARKETS FOR FLEXIBLE, POUCH AND BARRIER PACKAGING

PlasticsLive!
Coventry Arena
Wednesday 6 July 2022

PDF slides:     Developments and Trends in Bioplastics Technology and Markets – Plastics Live – 6 July 2022

Personal Profile – Dr Terry Cooper

Dr. Terry Cooper is CEO of ARGO Group International and has over 50 years’ experience in worldwide polymer-related R&D, manufacturing and market development.  He spent 16 years in R&D at DuPont and eight years managing polymer-related research and business groups at Arco Chemical Company (Atlantic Richfield), before founding ARGO Group.  He is responsible for work recognized in over 40 patents and applications and over 80 publications and presentations and has extensive international experience in the United States, Europe and Japan. He holds a D.Phil. in Physical Organic Chemistry from Oxford University; an MBA from Drexel University specializing in economic methods and international marketing; and was a Post-Doctoral Fellow in Molecular Biophysics at Yale University.  Current areas of major involvement include new product, process and market development in biobased, biodegradable, compostable and water-soluble polymers; biofuels; packaging technology and sustainable packaging; and recycling and recovery technology.

Specific projects have included:

  • Assessing the technology base, helping raise investment funding, planning and setting up R&D and market development programs and facilities and hiring personnel, and serving as R&D Director and Business Development Director for a UK-based start-up company specializing in biodegradable and water-soluble plastics.
  • Formulation, applications and market development for a US-based manufacturer of water-soluble plastics.
  • Formulation, applications and market development for a UK-based supplier of biodegradable and compostable plastics.
  • Formulation, manufacturing, applications and market development for a US-based supplier of biobased, biodegradable and compostable plastics and their component materials.
  • Formulation and process development for a UK-based start-up company specializing in high-strength water-soluble plastics.
  • Development of bioplastic-based and recyclate-based “green” high-performance film materials for a US home appliance company
  • Technical and applications development, and market analysis, for a range of non-toxic biobased plasticizers derived from new chemistry with a US-based start-up company.
  • Technical, economic, market and feedstock analysis and projections for biobased chemicals, monomers and polymers for a US Industrial Bioeconomy project.
  • Advising on new developments in materials, particularly renewable, biobased and biodegradable plastics, for three UK-based packaging design companies.
  • Expert witness in two US trade secret-related lawsuits concerning biodegradable plastics and additives.
  • Scientific Advisory Board member for the Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance (US) to develop processes to convert softwood waste to biofuels, biobased chemicals and polymers.
  • USDA grant review panel member for development of sustainable biomass feedstock supply chains for production of biofuels, chemicals, and value-added biobased products.
  • Designing, performing and authoring three extensive technology research studies on future trends in flexible packaging, sustainable packaging and recycling and recovery of plastic packaging.
  • Serving on the advisory board and R&D management team and helping raise investment funding for a US-based start-up company developing new processes for recycling municipal solid waste, fly ash and tires, and products made from the recyclates.
  • Setting up and managing R&D facilities, programs and product development, helping raise investment funds and acting as Chief Technology Officer for a Japanese-based start-up company specializing in high-performance optical polymer products and display systems.
  • Serving on the management team for a US-Japanese joint venture in Japan.
  • Developing US market data, contacts and market development plan for a Japanese epoxy resin producer.
  • Managing R&D, technical service and manufacturing support worldwide for a 20 million lb/year functional oligomer product.
  • Setting up and managing a worldwide quality/technical service support function for styrene manufacturing and marketing for a US manufacturer.
  • Reorganizing R&D, technical service, and QC functions, integrating them with sales and manufacturing, and R&D program planning for a US UV-curable printing ink manufacturer.
  • Evaluating the technology base for a US producer of dipped latex elastomeric products.
  • Developing improved curable fluxing adhesives for printed circuit boards for a US electronics materials company.
  • Developing improved optical coatings for a US medical diagnostic nanoprobe start-up company.
  • Evaluating present manufacturing processes and composite products and designing improved epoxy-composites and adhesives for acoustic applications for a US ultrasonics company.
  • Developing novel surfactant systems for storage stabilization of polymerase chain reaction systems for DNA cloning with a US biotechnology company.
  • Materials selection, systems development and R&D planning for new alkaline fuel cell designs for a UK start-up company.
  • Consulting on coatings technology, developments and markets for a US Merger and Acquisitions specialist.
  • Surveying polychloroprene latex technology and markets for a Japanese elastomer producer.
  • Technology and market studies on hydrogen infrastructure and by-product production, flame retardants, carbon nanotubes, and REACH legislation for a UK/Japan-based consultancy.
  • Evaluating novel European antimicrobial polymer technology for a potential VC investor.
  • Organizing and chairing a series of seminars to promote, and identify plastics converters to operate in a new Saudi Arabian petrochemical complex conversion industrial park.

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