Richard Blackburn
Ecomaterials Innovation Lab
As a senior lecturer at the University of Leeds, Richard Blackburn is pioneering research in the coloration and textiles industries. Articles on his work to eliminate salt and alkali in effluent and reduce water consumption and process time in dyeing operations have been featured in New Scientist, The Alchemist and Chemistry in Britain. Blackburn is also the co-founder and director of the University of Leeds spin-out company DyeCat Ltd. Through the development of novel polymerization methods, the company helps customers achieve colored polymer materials without downstream coloration and associated processing. Blackburn is co-founder and director of RITE Group (Reducing the Impact of Textiles on the Environment), a non-profit industry association that offers information and advice to reduce the negative environmental impact of the production, use and disposal of textiles and apparel.