(ajinomoto)
-- Ajinomoto Co., Inc. ("Ajinomoto") and Toray Industries, Inc. ("Toray") have
entered into an agreement to begin joint research for manufacturing the nylon
raw material 1,5-pentanediamine (1,5-PD) from the amino acid lysine produced
from plant materials by Ajinomoto using fermentation technology, and
commercializing a biobased nylon made from this substance.
Biobased
nylon is a type of nylon manufactured by polymerizing chemicals produced from
plant materials. The biobased nylon that Ajinomoto and Toray will research and
develop is produced from plant materials by decarbonating the amino acid lysine
through an enzyme reaction to make 1,5-PD, which Toray then polymerizes with
dicarboxylic acid.
The amino acid lysine is a core product of the
Ajinomoto Group produced using fermentation technology. This biobased nylon
fiber made from 1,5-PD is not only sustainable because it is plant-based, but
also shows promise for development into highly comfortable clothing. For
example, nylon 56 fiber manufactured using 1,5-PD is pleasing to the touch, yet
has the same strength and heat resistance as conventional nylon fiber made from
the petrochemical derivative hexamethylenediamine. It also absorbs and desorbs
moisture nearly as well as cotton. |