MOSCOW (MRC) -- Lanxess has run a production campaign of bio-based PBT in LANXESS’ world-scale production plant using 20 metric tons of bio-based BDO made with Genomatica’s commercially-proven process, reported Lanxess on its site.
This BDO fully complied with the demanding LANXESS specifications for petro-based BDO allowing a direct feed of 100% bio-based BDO into the continuous production process.
The properties and the quality of the resulting bio-based PBT are fully equivalent to conventional petro-based PBT with regard to all tested parameters. The world-scale PBT plant, with a capacity of 80,000 tonnes per year, is located in Hamm-Uentrop, Germany, and operated as a joint venture in which Lanxess has a share of 50%.
Genomatica’s BDO process technology converts sugars - a renewable feedstock - into the major chemical BDO in a patented, ’direct’ fermentation process.
"We were excited to validate the bio-based BDO made with Genomatica’s process as a one-to-one replacement for petro-based BDO for the production of our PBT," said Hartwig Meier, Head of Global Product and Application Development of the High Performance Materials Business Unit of LANXESS. "This is a strong signal to the market and a tremendous step forward in our future plans to offer our high-tech plastic Pocan in a bio-based version, too. Due to its unchanged properties Pocan compounds based on bio-based PBT can directly be used in established application fields such as automotive or electro & electronics area. This fits very well with our strategy of ‘Green Mobility’."
We remind that, as MRC wrote previously, Lanxess is strengthening its product portfolio for biocides to serve the megatrend urbanization. Thus, in early April, the German specialty chemicals group acquired Singapore-based PCTS Specialty Chemicals Pte. Ltd. for an undisclosed amount. Through the acquisition, Lanxess is now one of the leading suppliers of biocides for paints and coatings in the rapidly-growing Asia-Pacific region.
Genomatica is a widely-recognized technology leader for the chemical industry. It delivers new manufacturing processes that enable its licensee partners to produce the world’s most widely-used chemicals a ‘better way’, from renewable feedstocks, with better economics and greater sustainability than petroleum-based processes.
Genomatica’s first process, for BDO, is now commercial. Genomatica is also developing processes for other high-volume chemicals, including butadiene.
Lanxess is a leading specialty chemicals company with sales of EUR 8.8 billion in 2011 and currently around 16,900 employees in 31 countries. The company is currently represented at 48 production sites worldwide. The core business of Lanxess is the development, manufacturing and marketing of plastics, rubber, intermediates and specialty chemicals. The company posted lower earnings in the first quarter of 2013 as expected due to a weak market environment, particularly in the tire and automotive industries. First-quarter sales were down by 12% year-on-year to EUR 2.1 billion, mainly due to lower volumes and fallen selling prices.
MRC