Alexandra Brasher

Controlling What We Can: A Smarter Approach to Supply Chain Resilience

As global uncertainty grows, supply chain resilience and reliability have become a critical priority. At Integrity BioChem, our approach is rooted in a simple principle: focus on what we can control.

We prioritize domestic sourcing across North America to drive consistent lead times, improved traceability, and dependable product availability. By relying on regional inputs, we reduce exposure to overseas logistics challenges and global disruptions while maintaining steady production.

In parallel, we leverage upcycled raw materials from local sources, particularly renewable byproducts from the agricultural industry. This allows us to convert underutilized resources into high-performance, bio-based solutions, supporting circularity while reducing overall environmental impact.

Built for Supply Chain Resilience

This dual approach becomes especially valuable during periods of disruption. Access to local, reliable inputs provides a level of insulation that traditional global supply chains often cannot offer, resulting in fewer interruptions and greater confidence in supply.

Operationally, this model is reinforced by our centralized North American manufacturing and R&D Facilities. With integrated production, on-site quality control testing, and responsive customer service support, we can quickly adapt while maintaining consistent performance.

What We Deliver

Together, these strategies deliver:

• Enhanced supply reliability
• Reduced exposure to global volatility
• Greater transparency across sourcing and production
• A more sustainable material foundation

Operational Consistency

Importantly, this is how we operate across multiple industries we serve. Regardless of application, the same philosophy applies: build from reliable, regional inputs and design for consistency from the start.

As our customers navigate their own uncertainties, such as commodity shifts, operational pressures, and evolving sustainability expectations, we’re proud to be a reliable supplier.

About Integrity BioChem
Integrity BioChem (IBC) delivers high-performance, cost-effective chemical solutions across multiple industrial markets, and produces all of its chemistry in the US. By combining innovative and bio-based chemistries with a focus on reliability and scale, IBC helps customers improve performance, strengthen supply stability, and meet evolving sustainability goals.

by Alexandra Brasher

Bio-Based Surfactants vs. Biosurfactants: Why the Difference Matters in Agriculture

This post was penned by Integrity BioChem VP of Agriculture, Dave Coorts.

For the last few years, I’ve watched a lot of good conversations in agriculture stall because of one small word: bio.

When formulators or partners hear “bio-based surfactant,” many immediately assume we’re talking about biosurfactants. Fermentation tanks. Microbial production. Long lead times. Limited supply. High cost. In many cases, that assumption stops the discussion before it really starts.

But bio-based surfactants and biosurfactants are not the same thing. And in agriculture, that difference matters.

What Are Biosurfactants?

Biosurfactants are typically produced through fermentation. You’re growing microorganisms, feeding them, managing growth conditions, waiting for optimal yields, and then stabilizing the product so it survives storage and transport.

It’s impressive science. It’s also a slow and complex process.

Fermentation-based production introduces real constraints:

• Long manufacturing timelines
• Capacity limits tied to bioreactor size
• Higher costs driven by biological variability
• Challenges scaling quickly when demand spikes

For niche or specialty applications, biosurfactants can make sense. But agriculture rarely operates in small volumes or forgiving timelines.

What Makes Bio-Based Surfactants Different?

Bio-based surfactants, like those developed at Integrity BioChem, are produced through scalable chemical processes using renewable feedstocks. The chemistry is deliberate and controlled. Every input stays in the final product. There is no biological growth phase and no separation step.

From start to finish, production happens in hours, not weeks.

That distinction changes everything.

It affects how quickly a product can be manufactured.
It affects supply reliability.
And it determines whether a solution can realistically operate at agricultural scale.

This is often where confusion creeps in. When all “bio” technologies are lumped together, the limitations of biosurfactants are assumed to apply across the board. In practice, they don’t.

Why This Difference Matters in Agriculture

Agriculture is not a laboratory environment. It’s seasonal. It’s cost-sensitive. And it operates on tight margins.

Products must:

• Be available when needed
• Perform consistently across conditions
• Scale without supply disruptions
• Fit into existing systems without added complexity

Bio-based surfactants manufactured through chemistry are designed with those realities in mind. They allow us to bring renewable feedstocks into agricultural formulations without sacrificing reliability or performance.

Sustainability is important, but it cannot come at the expense of practicality. Farmers and formulators don’t have the luxury of choosing between the two.

Chemistry Still Has a Role to Play

There’s a narrative circulating that sustainability in agriculture requires biology alone. In my experience, that’s an oversimplification.

Some of the most effective solutions emerge when chemistry and renewable feedstocks work together. Bio-based surfactants sit squarely in that space. They leverage chemistry to deliver scale and consistency, while reducing reliance on traditional petrochemical inputs.

That balance is where real progress happens.

Clarity Builds Better Solutions

When we’re precise about what we mean by “bio-based,” better conversations follow. Formulators ask better questions. Expectations are grounded in reality. And technologies are evaluated on what they can actually deliver, not on assumptions tied to a label.

Bio-based surfactants are not biosurfactants. Understanding that difference is the first step toward using them effectively in agriculture.

by Alexandra Brasher

Reimagining Froth Flotation: The Scientific Case for Bio-Based Frothers in Mining Operations

This piece was authored by IBC Director of Sustainability, Laura Benavides. 

The mining industry is evolving. Operators are under increasing pressure to boost efficiency, improve recovery, and reduce environmental impact-yet traditional frothers often fall short on sustainability. TegraFroth addresses this gap with a bio-based reagent platform that delivers sustainability, scalability, and performance. The product has been evaluated across copper, gold, potash, and coal operations worldwide.

The Need for Change

Traditional flotation reagents rely on fossil-derived reagents that bring challenges around VOC emissions, worker exposure, tailings management, and water treatment. At the same time:

• ESG mandates have become procurement priorities, and operators must show measurable progress.
• Traditional reagents are lagging, limited by fossil-linked supply chains and slow innovation cycles.
• Mines need drop-in solutions that work within existing SOPs and infrastructure-without introducing operational risk.

This combination has created demand for drop-in ready, high-performance chemistry that aligns with sustainability initiatives.

Why TegraFroth Bio-Based Frother for Mining 

TegraFroth is engineered for modern mining needs, offering:

• Exceptional froth stability
• Low dosage requirements
• Higher recovery and improved concentrate grades
• Fast bubble breakdown (low persistence)
• Compatibility with existing SOPs and plant reagents

The result is a frother that supports both process efficiency and ESG goals.

How It Works

TegraFroth functions by reducing surface tension and stabilizing air bubbles during flotation. This enhances bubble-particle attachment, increases selectivity, and supports more efficient mineral transport to the froth- thus leading to improved grade and higher overall recovery.

Sustainability is integrated into TegraFroth at every stage:

• Rapid biodegradation post-flotation
• Zero VOCs and no hazardous concerns
• Extremely low emissions during production (0.002 kg CO2e per kg of product)
• Upcycled agricultural by-products as feedstocks-without competing with food production
• Locally or regionally sourced raw materials, supporting reliable supply chains and reducing transportation impacts
• Renewable Carbon Index of 81-100%, reflecting a chemistry built primarily from natural ingredients.

A Smarter Path Forward: Bio-Based Frothers for Mining 

TegraFroth isn't just greener-it's smarter. It provides mining operations with a way to meet ESG requirements while optimizing or maintaining metallurgical performance, reducing emissions, and improving reagent efficiency.

The shift toward high-performance, sustainable chemistry is already underway. TegraFroth represents a structural change in mineral processing-combining environmental stewardship with operational excellence. Mines adopting these solutions today will lead the industry tomorrow.

by Alexandra Brasher