Abstract
Biobased polymers and materials are desperately needed to replace fossil-based materials in the world’s transition to a more sustainable lifestyle. In this article, Avantium describes the path from invention towards commercialization of their YXY® plants-to-plastics Technology, which catalytically converts plant-based sugars into FDCA—the chemical building block for PEF (polyethylene furanoate). PEF is a plant-based, highly recyclable plastic, with superior performance properties compared to today’s widely used petroleum-based packaging materials. The myriad of topics that must be addressed in the process of bringing a new monomer and polymer to market are discussed, including process development and application development, regulatory requirements, IP protection, commercial partnerships, by-product valorisation, life cycle assessment (LCA), recyclability and circular economy fit, and end-of-life. Advice is provided for others considering embarking on a similar journey, as well as an outlook on the next, exciting steps towards large-scale production of FDCA and PEF at Avantium’s Flagship Plant and beyond.
Highlights
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This paper describes the history of the development of Avantium’s YXY® Technology, and special emphasis is given to all the requirements needed to successfully bring a new polymer with bulk potential to the market
The similarities and differences of the conversions of para-xylene into terephthalic acid compared with the oxidation of RMF into FDCA have been extensively discussed by van der Waal et al [38–42]; Purification, removal of product impurities via purification producing purified FDCA [43–47]; Melt polymerization of FDCA and mono ethylene glycol to create the plant-based polymer, polyethylene furanoate (PEF) [5,22,48–52]
Summary
Bringing Disruptive Technologies to the Market Avantium is a Dutch technology company in renewable chemistry whose origins in advanced catalysis products and services laid the foundations for its growth into developing and commercialising sustainable chemical technologies. Avantium’s foundation in high-throughput catalyst testing systems has been fundamental for the R&D approach used in their development programs using the benefits of parallel testing to speed-up the development time-lines [1–4]. This approach has allowed Avantium to make breakthroughs in the production of building blocks (monomers) from renewable sources (plant-based sugars and CO2) instead of from fossil resources such as petroleum. This paper describes the history of the development of Avantium’s YXY® Technology, and special emphasis is given to all the requirements (strong sustainable technology portfolio, production at pilot plant scale, IP protection, regulatory approval, commercialization strategy, recycling options, and fate in nature) needed to successfully bring a new polymer with bulk potential to the market
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