Playing catch-up after two weeks. Round-up for biofuels will be posted separately. I seem to be seeing several companies that I have not heard before in recent months -- that's a good sign I think. I hope you all had a nice few days off during the Christmas break!
Cereplast markets algae bioplastics
US bioplastic producer Cereplast announced the commercialization of Cereplast Algae Bioplastics with the introduction of Biopropylene 109D. Biopropylene 109D is an injection molding grade manufactured with 20% post-industrial algae biomatter.The company anticipates generating revenue from the algae bioplastic during the first half of 2013.
Cardia Bioplastics' Chinese supply contract
Australia-based Cardia Bioplastics has secured a $1.2m/year contract with the Shanghao Pudong City District in China for the supply of its Biohybrid kitchen waste bags. The Cardia Biohybrid resin is made from starch-based thermoplastic combined with a polyolefin material. The contract follows a six-month trial of Cardia's products in the region earlier this year.
BioBased Technologies buys soy polyol
BioBased Technologies has acquired Rhino Linings Corporation's Soyol polyol technology assets, which it bought from Urethane Soy Systems earlier this year. In return, Rhino has bought BioBased Insulation, a division of BioBased Technologies. Terms of the acquisition were not released.
More on this post...
December 28, 2012
December 24, 2012
Happy Green Holidays!
Wishing everybody a very happy holiday and a prosperous new year ahead!
The green blog is back in business as school is finally over!! Hurrah!
Unfortunately it has been two weeks since I've checked the green chemistry world so let me start scanning old and new news as I eat my Christmas ham and unwrap presents.
Enjoy the holidays!
- Doris
December 7, 2012
Green milestones: LanzaTech, Global Bioenergies
Two separate news came out this week announcing their project milestones, one about butadiene from Global Bioenergies, and the other about ethanol from LanzaTech
Incidentally, these two also have a partnership with each other on developing bio-based isobutene but that's another story to tell some other time.
France-based Global Bioenergies said the first phase of its bio-based butadiene development project with Polish synthetic rubber manufacturer firm Synthos has now been successfully accomplished with the discovery of metabolic pathways converting renewable feedstock into butadiene through a direct, gaseous fermentation process.
Global Bioenergies said several patents have been filed coming from this development. The companies, which formed their partnership in July last year, will now enter their next development phase for which Synthos will contribute several million euros in total over the next three years.
More on this post...
Incidentally, these two also have a partnership with each other on developing bio-based isobutene but that's another story to tell some other time.
France-based Global Bioenergies said the first phase of its bio-based butadiene development project with Polish synthetic rubber manufacturer firm Synthos has now been successfully accomplished with the discovery of metabolic pathways converting renewable feedstock into butadiene through a direct, gaseous fermentation process.
Global Bioenergies said several patents have been filed coming from this development. The companies, which formed their partnership in July last year, will now enter their next development phase for which Synthos will contribute several million euros in total over the next three years.
December 6, 2012
Survey says: China likes biobased products
This is a very interesting survey released by DuPont this week about urban Chinese consumers increasingly favoring products they perceived offering environmental benefits. According to DuPont, China is now a ripe market for biobased product growth given their rising purchasing power and the government's initiatives to reduce their carbon emissions and energy use.
In the DuPont China Green Living Survey: Consumer Awareness and Adoption of Biobased Products, DuPont found that a majority of Chinese consumers are likely to buy apparel, personal care, hygiene and household products made from biobased ingredients that offer environmental benefits. This is despite the fact that just 4 in 10 surveyed are very or somewhat familiar with what constitutes a green product.
DuPont said, 70% of the consumers surveyed expressed high confidence in the environmental claims of green products. In fact, compared in a similar survey done in North America, only 60% of Americans and 65% of Canadians expressed the same confidence.
More on this post...
In the DuPont China Green Living Survey: Consumer Awareness and Adoption of Biobased Products, DuPont found that a majority of Chinese consumers are likely to buy apparel, personal care, hygiene and household products made from biobased ingredients that offer environmental benefits. This is despite the fact that just 4 in 10 surveyed are very or somewhat familiar with what constitutes a green product.
DuPont said, 70% of the consumers surveyed expressed high confidence in the environmental claims of green products. In fact, compared in a similar survey done in North America, only 60% of Americans and 65% of Canadians expressed the same confidence.
December 5, 2012
New Sites to see
The green blog just wanted to give a shout out of welcome to these new sites and hopefully readers will check them out as well:
SpecialChem4Bio
SpecialChem's new online platform dedicated to bio-based chemicals and materials. The website is said to offer the following:
Journal of Renewable Materials
A web-based community as well as publishing platform for peer-reviewed original research on macromolecules and additives obtained from renewable/biobased resources. JRM also has a blog that focuses on articles published on JRM as well as a LinkedIn group.
BIORREFINARIA BRAZIL
An open innovation online platform covering biorefineries worldwide and their associated upstream chains. The goal is to connect and provide companies and organizations seeking solutions with key partners that can offer models, tools, and collaborative environments on a global scale.
The blog has been checking out this site's global crowdmapping initiative, which highlights projects and initiatives in the field of biorefinery developments worldwide. The Biorefinery Initiatives database is presented in two views: direct on the map geolocating key initiatives by categories (feedstock, technology, scale of production, organization, events, funding etc.) and the cataloged reports including detailed information about each mapped initiatives.
SpecialChem4Bio
SpecialChem's new online platform dedicated to bio-based chemicals and materials. The website is said to offer the following:
- BioBased Products Selector: a bio-based chemicals and materials selector, organized by industry, chemical category and applications.
- Patent Updates: A weekly selection of the latest bio-based patents from the USPTO and the EPO.
- Open Innovation: Featuring services of bio-based technology scouting and bio-based technology out-licensing.
- Bio-based Market Needs: An area dedicated to market needs regarding bio-based products, publishing results of "Click N' Votes" (on-line mini-surveys) and market-oriented content written by renowned experts.
Journal of Renewable Materials
A web-based community as well as publishing platform for peer-reviewed original research on macromolecules and additives obtained from renewable/biobased resources. JRM also has a blog that focuses on articles published on JRM as well as a LinkedIn group.
BIORREFINARIA BRAZIL
An open innovation online platform covering biorefineries worldwide and their associated upstream chains. The goal is to connect and provide companies and organizations seeking solutions with key partners that can offer models, tools, and collaborative environments on a global scale.
The blog has been checking out this site's global crowdmapping initiative, which highlights projects and initiatives in the field of biorefinery developments worldwide. The Biorefinery Initiatives database is presented in two views: direct on the map geolocating key initiatives by categories (feedstock, technology, scale of production, organization, events, funding etc.) and the cataloged reports including detailed information about each mapped initiatives.
Polyols from bio-PDO and succinic acid
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| DTL's biobased PDO production facility |
Polyester polyols (dicarboxylic acids + diols) are chemical intermediates used in the production of urethane foams, coatings, adhesives and sealants. The new polyols are said to be functionally equal and cost-competitive with petroleum-derived polyols. DTL said the bio-based polyols do not have green-price premiums.
December 4, 2012
Purac promotes PLA recyclability
The blog is in a video mode this week so here's another one from lactic acid producer Purac showing how easy it is to recycle PLA (polylactic acid) plastic through a do-it-yourself, interactive machine created by the Perpetual Plastic Project that Purac has sponsored.
The project is an initiative created by former students from the Delft University of Technology (in the Netherlands), and is designed to educate people on the recyclability of bioplastic.
According to Purac, the Interactive Machine provides users with a small-scale demonstration of PLA recycling (see video below). The machine is currently touring the Netherlands at various events.
More on this post...
The project is an initiative created by former students from the Delft University of Technology (in the Netherlands), and is designed to educate people on the recyclability of bioplastic.
According to Purac, the Interactive Machine provides users with a small-scale demonstration of PLA recycling (see video below). The machine is currently touring the Netherlands at various events.
December 3, 2012
DuPont breaks ground on Iowa biorefinery
Last week, DuPont has made a statement on its commitment to cellulosic ethanol as the company broke ground on its planned 30m gal/year biorefinery in Nevada, Iowa.
More on this post...
December 2, 2012
Teijin's Bio-PET Fiber in Nissan
Hello blog readers! Missed me? I am very sorry for being quiet lately as I had to recuperate coming out of a gallbladder surgery on top of a Thanksgiving week and this week's exam.
This month will also be my finals and therefore I need to focus on school for now until the week of December 22. Hopefully there will not be too many important news in the renewable chems industry that I will miss.
The blog will be fully active again by January. In the meantime, here is a news from Japanese company Teijin about their own activities in the bio-based PET (polyethylene terephthalate) market under the brand ECO Circle PlantFiber. Teijin said the bio-polyester has been selected for use in the seats and interior trim surface of the 100% electric Nissan LEAF automobile.
More on this post...
This month will also be my finals and therefore I need to focus on school for now until the week of December 22. Hopefully there will not be too many important news in the renewable chems industry that I will miss.
The blog will be fully active again by January. In the meantime, here is a news from Japanese company Teijin about their own activities in the bio-based PET (polyethylene terephthalate) market under the brand ECO Circle PlantFiber. Teijin said the bio-polyester has been selected for use in the seats and interior trim surface of the 100% electric Nissan LEAF automobile.
November 19, 2012
Guayule rubber in wetsuit
US-based Yulex sent me this press release this weekend regarding their project with sports/outdoors products manufacturer Patagonia on a guayule rubber-based wetsuit as an alternative for the use of neoprene materials.The blog first heard about guayule (pronounced why-YOU-lee) in 2009 when the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) put out an article about their research with this plant as a source of natural latex ideal for making high-quality gloves, medical devices and even as biofuel with the use of its waste stems and branches (bagasse).
Guayule shrubs can first be harvested as early as 2 years after planting. The shrubs typically grow at least 3 feet high and several feet across, and sliced just above the ground, they regrow vigorously and are ready to harvest again in another year and a half or so.
According to Yulex, Patagonia has just launched a wetsuit that contains 60% renewable content using Yulex's biorubber material made from guayule and the rest from petrochemical-based materials. The guayule rubber has allowed Patagonia to use as little as neoprene as possible, the company said.
November 16, 2012
Biofuel News Roundup
The blog decided to separate the biofuel news from the weekly roundup as there are too many of them and its piling up quickly. Current activities going on in the biofuel industry is the wait-and-watch mode for the much anticipated decision by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on whether it will change or maintain the status quo for the Renewable Fuels Standard for 2013.
The RFS requires 13bn gallons of ethanol to be produced in 2013. Several industry food groups are arguing that the RFS requirement is aggravating food prices because of the use of corn. The biofuel industry is fighting to maintain the status quo for RFS2.
A decision by the EPA is expected to come out soon.
Europe is also going through the same "mandates" challenge as the US. The European Commission (EC) put out a proposal in October that will limit the use of food crops such as oilseeds and cereals for the production of biofuels. EC is also looking to introduce a new legislation to account for indirect land usage changes (ILUC), which will assess the greenhouse gas emissions performance caused by biofuels.
More on this post...
The RFS requires 13bn gallons of ethanol to be produced in 2013. Several industry food groups are arguing that the RFS requirement is aggravating food prices because of the use of corn. The biofuel industry is fighting to maintain the status quo for RFS2.
A decision by the EPA is expected to come out soon.
Europe is also going through the same "mandates" challenge as the US. The European Commission (EC) put out a proposal in October that will limit the use of food crops such as oilseeds and cereals for the production of biofuels. EC is also looking to introduce a new legislation to account for indirect land usage changes (ILUC), which will assess the greenhouse gas emissions performance caused by biofuels.
November 15, 2012
Algae update: Solazyme et al.
A lot of activities going on with Solazyme that includes its third quarter earnings report yesterday, the launch of its algal-based diesel to the consumer market, expansion of its production capacity in Brazil through the Bunge joint venture, and finally, a partnership with Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) for additional production capacity through ADM's Clinton, Iowa, fermentation plant -- the same plant where Metabolix previously produce its polyhydroxyalkanoate or PHA bioplastic resins before ADM decided to drop Metabolix in January this year.
Solazyme announced on Tuesday its month-long pilot program with biofuel retailer Propel Fuels where the companies are now selling Solazyme's algae-based diesel (called Soladiesel BD) in California at Propel's retail pumps in Redwood City, San Jose, Berkeley, and Oakland.
More on this post...
Solazyme announced on Tuesday its month-long pilot program with biofuel retailer Propel Fuels where the companies are now selling Solazyme's algae-based diesel (called Soladiesel BD) in California at Propel's retail pumps in Redwood City, San Jose, Berkeley, and Oakland.
November 14, 2012
Bioplastic potential in bag bans
One example is Metabolix's new Mvera B5008 compostable-certified film grade resin. Application for the bioplastic includes compost bag and can liners for organic waste collection as well as shopping and retail bags that can be reused as compostable organic waste bags.
November 13, 2012
Weekly News Roundup
So many news, so little time....
Dow, Mitsui secures JV approval
Dow Chemical and Mitsui & Co. have completed the formation of its previously announced 50:50 JV in Brazil. The JV will operate a sugarcane plantation, build a 63m gal/year sugarcane-to-ethanol facility, which will be integrated into a biopolymers facility producing sugarcane-based polyethylene plastics for use in high-performance flexible packaging, hygiene and medical markets. Engineering and equipment fabrication for the ethanol facility in Santa Vitória is reportedly proceeding according to schedule, with operations expected to start 2Q 2013.
Clariant, Wilmar in amines
Swiss specialty chemical company Clariant has partnered with Singapore-based agribusiness firm Wilmar International Ltd. for a 50-50 joint venture in the production and sales of amines and selected amines derivatives. Clariant will contribute its Industrial & Consumer Specialties business unit’s sales activities of relevant amines and derivatives as well as its amines plant in Germany and production output from its amines plant in Brazil. Wilmar will contribute a new plant in China as well as its oleochemical expertise, including access to renewable raw materials.
Rivertop's biobased corrosion inhibitors
For the second year in a row, Rivertop Renewables will supply the Montana Department of Transportation its bio-based corrosion inhibitors under the trademark "Headwaters" for use with liquid deicers. The product is derived from corn sugar and is completely biodegradable. This fall the company opened its renovated laboratories and semi-works facility at the Montana Technology Enterprise Center (MonTEC) in Missoula.
More on this post...
Dow, Mitsui secures JV approval
Dow Chemical and Mitsui & Co. have completed the formation of its previously announced 50:50 JV in Brazil. The JV will operate a sugarcane plantation, build a 63m gal/year sugarcane-to-ethanol facility, which will be integrated into a biopolymers facility producing sugarcane-based polyethylene plastics for use in high-performance flexible packaging, hygiene and medical markets. Engineering and equipment fabrication for the ethanol facility in Santa Vitória is reportedly proceeding according to schedule, with operations expected to start 2Q 2013.
Clariant, Wilmar in amines
Swiss specialty chemical company Clariant has partnered with Singapore-based agribusiness firm Wilmar International Ltd. for a 50-50 joint venture in the production and sales of amines and selected amines derivatives. Clariant will contribute its Industrial & Consumer Specialties business unit’s sales activities of relevant amines and derivatives as well as its amines plant in Germany and production output from its amines plant in Brazil. Wilmar will contribute a new plant in China as well as its oleochemical expertise, including access to renewable raw materials.
Rivertop's biobased corrosion inhibitors
For the second year in a row, Rivertop Renewables will supply the Montana Department of Transportation its bio-based corrosion inhibitors under the trademark "Headwaters" for use with liquid deicers. The product is derived from corn sugar and is completely biodegradable. This fall the company opened its renovated laboratories and semi-works facility at the Montana Technology Enterprise Center (MonTEC) in Missoula.
November 12, 2012
Introducing Calysta Energy
I'm working on the weekly news roundup and reading some of the recent earnings report from Amyris, Gevo, Codexis and Solazyme. In between these and studying, I'll put this short post about a newly established company called Calysta Energy led by former Codexis CEO Alan Shaw, who stepped down from his post in Codexis early this year.Calysta Energy was formed in 2011 is a spinout of DNA 2.0, a major provider of synthetic genes for industrial and academic use. I guess this company is joining those that are using gas to liquid (GTL) technology platforms such as LanzaTech, Newlight Technologies, Oakbio, Carbon Sciences, Siluria, Enerkem, among others.
According to the company's website, Calysta will leverage its extensive expertise in protein engineering, gene synthesis and gene expression optimization to create advanced molecular biology tools able to engineer novel production organisms which enable process technology (I love cut and paste tools!).
Sustainable Palm oil: Is certification enough?
I have been loosely following environmental issues concerning the sustainability of global palm oil supply and production given my interest in the oleochemical sector where palm oil derivatives is a major feedstock.
Japan-based fragrance company Shiseido was just one of the latest global consumer/food product firms that announced their initiative to make sure their palm oil supply comes from a sustainable supply chain.
Shiseido has already joined the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) since 2010. RSPO is an international non-profit organization established by the World Wide Fund (WWF), companies and organizations involved with palm oil production. According to RSPO, total members as of October 23 was 755.
Shiseido said it will make sure its total volume of palm oil used as raw material for their cosmetic products will be RSPO-certified oil by 2013. All RSPO members are required to submit a time bound plan to produce, trade, process and/or purchase and use 100% certified sustainable palm oil before their general assembly meeting which was held in November 1 (somewhere...).
More on this post...
Japan-based fragrance company Shiseido was just one of the latest global consumer/food product firms that announced their initiative to make sure their palm oil supply comes from a sustainable supply chain.
Shiseido has already joined the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) since 2010. RSPO is an international non-profit organization established by the World Wide Fund (WWF), companies and organizations involved with palm oil production. According to RSPO, total members as of October 23 was 755.
Shiseido said it will make sure its total volume of palm oil used as raw material for their cosmetic products will be RSPO-certified oil by 2013. All RSPO members are required to submit a time bound plan to produce, trade, process and/or purchase and use 100% certified sustainable palm oil before their general assembly meeting which was held in November 1 (somewhere...).
November 11, 2012
PHA bioplastic update
I have two posts that keeps accumulating virtual dusts...this one and the one about oleochemicals...
Since I am in the bioplastic mode again (thanks to recent news about polybutylene succinate or PBS), let me see what we can do with this one about polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) since there had been several news that came out about in the past few weeks.
One is this company called Newlight Technologies which has been operating under stealth mode since its inception in 2003. Newlight has developed a resin functionalization technology that enables the company to produce PHA-based plastics that reportedly can match or exceed the performance of commodity plastics using using air and greenhouse gases, such as methane and carbon dioxide for feedstock.
Reminds me of LanzaTech technology except LanzaTech is not focusing on PHA-based resins.
Just for a background, PHAs are semi-crystalline thermoplastic polyesters that are fully biodegradable in anaerobic and aerobic conditions (copying this verbatim from an industry source).
Newlight Technologies said it has invented, patented, and commercialized a game-changing carbon capture and plastics manufacturing technology. The most important thing to note is that the company is already operating on a large-scale, continuous basis, and is in fact already selling its plastics to customers with applications ranging from furniture parts to storage containers to packaging films.
More on this news...
Since I am in the bioplastic mode again (thanks to recent news about polybutylene succinate or PBS), let me see what we can do with this one about polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) since there had been several news that came out about in the past few weeks.
One is this company called Newlight Technologies which has been operating under stealth mode since its inception in 2003. Newlight has developed a resin functionalization technology that enables the company to produce PHA-based plastics that reportedly can match or exceed the performance of commodity plastics using using air and greenhouse gases, such as methane and carbon dioxide for feedstock.
Reminds me of LanzaTech technology except LanzaTech is not focusing on PHA-based resins.
Just for a background, PHAs are semi-crystalline thermoplastic polyesters that are fully biodegradable in anaerobic and aerobic conditions (copying this verbatim from an industry source).
Newlight Technologies said it has invented, patented, and commercialized a game-changing carbon capture and plastics manufacturing technology. The most important thing to note is that the company is already operating on a large-scale, continuous basis, and is in fact already selling its plastics to customers with applications ranging from furniture parts to storage containers to packaging films.
November 9, 2012
Nike uses bio-based polyurethanes
As folks in the polyurethane industry would tell you, the sports products and footwear markets are hot spots for growing bioplastic demand.
I actually wrote about Nike's announcement of its GS football boot in July when it announced that its new football boot has been worn by Brazilian football star Neymar. Back then, Nike said the sole plate of this boot is made of 50% Pebax Renew (Arkema's castor-based thermoplastic elastomer with about 97% renewable-based component), and 50% bio-based thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU).
Spain-based Merquinsa, a Lubrizol company, actually noted on a press release last month that it was their Pearlthane ECO TPU product (also made with castor oil derivatives) that Nike used on the plate base of the GS Football boot. The castor-based TPU made the sole plate 15% lighter than traditional plate composition, according to Merquinsa.
More on this post...
I actually wrote about Nike's announcement of its GS football boot in July when it announced that its new football boot has been worn by Brazilian football star Neymar. Back then, Nike said the sole plate of this boot is made of 50% Pebax Renew (Arkema's castor-based thermoplastic elastomer with about 97% renewable-based component), and 50% bio-based thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU).
Spain-based Merquinsa, a Lubrizol company, actually noted on a press release last month that it was their Pearlthane ECO TPU product (also made with castor oil derivatives) that Nike used on the plate base of the GS Football boot. The castor-based TPU made the sole plate 15% lighter than traditional plate composition, according to Merquinsa.
November 8, 2012
Neste Oil expands in bio-naptha
A short post about Neste Oil's renewable naphtha product before it gets buried in my draft box..
According to Finnish energy giant Neste Oil, it has launched commercial production and sales of bio-based naptha produced as a co-product of its NExBTL renewable diesel refining process at its sites in Finland, the Netherlands and Singapore.
Neste's NExBTL renewable diesel is produced by hydrotreating fats and oils (via application of hydrogen and catalysts). This article from Green Car Congress provided a nice explanation of how naptha is produced from hydrotreated fats and oils such as Neste's NExBTL.
According to the article, the type of catalyst and reaction temperature are important factors in determining yield and composition of liquid products such as green naphtha (C5-C10), green jet fuel (C11-C13), green diesel (C14-20) and even liquid petroleum gas. A severe hydrocracking catalyst would lead to a high production of green naphtha whereas a mild-hydrocracking catalyst is prone to produce mainly green diesel.
More on this post...
According to Finnish energy giant Neste Oil, it has launched commercial production and sales of bio-based naptha produced as a co-product of its NExBTL renewable diesel refining process at its sites in Finland, the Netherlands and Singapore.
Neste's NExBTL renewable diesel is produced by hydrotreating fats and oils (via application of hydrogen and catalysts). This article from Green Car Congress provided a nice explanation of how naptha is produced from hydrotreated fats and oils such as Neste's NExBTL.
According to the article, the type of catalyst and reaction temperature are important factors in determining yield and composition of liquid products such as green naphtha (C5-C10), green jet fuel (C11-C13), green diesel (C14-20) and even liquid petroleum gas. A severe hydrocracking catalyst would lead to a high production of green naphtha whereas a mild-hydrocracking catalyst is prone to produce mainly green diesel.
Mitsubishi expands PBS partnership
I apologize for the long hiatus as I just finished my mid-term exam last night and I made a promise to focus all my attention on school for the exam.
I have been wanting to post this news since it came out on November 5 about the collaboration between Mitsubishi Chemical and France-based automotive equipment supplier Faurecia on the use of polybutylene succinate (PBS) resins made from 100% biomass-based feedstock in automotive applications. I have mentioned the biodegradable polyester PBS before when I last posted about succinic acid.
It is commercially available in the market although not in big quantities. The last time I spoke with Mitsubishi Chemical, the company estimated the global PBS market were at 5,000-6,000 tonnes/year, and most of it is manufactured using petrochemical-based succinic acid and 1,4 butanediol (BDO). An industry source estimated the current PBS and derivatives market at 100,000–120,000 tonnes/year.
Faurecia said it has been conducting research into 100% renewable-based bioplastic since 2006 and will now partner with Mitsubishi Chemical to co-develop a full-range of bioplastics designed for use in automotive interiors. The collaboration will start with biomass-derived PBS, where Mitsubishi is already a producer via its partnership with US bio-succinic acid manufacturer BioAmber.
More on this post...
I have been wanting to post this news since it came out on November 5 about the collaboration between Mitsubishi Chemical and France-based automotive equipment supplier Faurecia on the use of polybutylene succinate (PBS) resins made from 100% biomass-based feedstock in automotive applications. I have mentioned the biodegradable polyester PBS before when I last posted about succinic acid.
It is commercially available in the market although not in big quantities. The last time I spoke with Mitsubishi Chemical, the company estimated the global PBS market were at 5,000-6,000 tonnes/year, and most of it is manufactured using petrochemical-based succinic acid and 1,4 butanediol (BDO). An industry source estimated the current PBS and derivatives market at 100,000–120,000 tonnes/year.
Faurecia said it has been conducting research into 100% renewable-based bioplastic since 2006 and will now partner with Mitsubishi Chemical to co-develop a full-range of bioplastics designed for use in automotive interiors. The collaboration will start with biomass-derived PBS, where Mitsubishi is already a producer via its partnership with US bio-succinic acid manufacturer BioAmber.
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