The Radical Re-Sourcing of Tires, Nylon, Parachutes and Balloons

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Global Bioenergies achieves one-step renewable butadiene via fermentation. Who’s in the global chase for a process to make one of the world’s Big 7 industrial chemicals via a renewable process — and how did Global Bioenergies just jump into the lead?
...(T)hink about expanding auto sales in Asia, which has left India, for one, very much in the import side of the equation on butadiene. Polybutadiene Rubber (PBR) and Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR) are two types of synthetic rubbers used globally to replace natural rubber. But also think parachutes and clothing, as in 6,6 nylon. Butadiene is also a key intermediate chemical used by INVISTA for the production of adiponitrile (ADN), which in turn is a critical intermediate chemical used in the manufacture of nylon 6,6.
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ICIS has also been reporting for the last couple of years now on destructive levels of volatility in naphtha prices — naphtha is the primary petrochemical feedstock for butadiene. Further, the growth in natural gas production — and prospects for more growth, especially to serve C2 markets such as ethylene, are expected to reduce naphtha production and further tighten the production outlook for C4 chemicals, especially butadiene.
The Global Bioenergies butadiene background
In this context Global Bioenergies announced a deal in 2011 with Poland-based Synthos to develop a new process for the conversion of renewable resources into butadiene, involving research funding, multi-million euro development fees, royalty payments, repartition of exploitation rights, and a $2M equity investment in Global Bioenergies.
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In 2011, Genomatica announced a successful production of pound quantities of butadiene made from renewable feedstocks. At the time, the milestone confirmed the technical viability of Genomatica’s bio-based manufacturing process. Butadiene is expected to be Genomatica’s second process after butanediol (BDO), also a C4 chemical.
Last year, Versalis and Genomatica announced the establishment of a technology joint venture for bio-based butadiene.
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Axens, IFP Energies nouvelles and Michelin announced late last year the launch of a plant chemistry research partnership to develop and bring to market a process for producing bio-butadiene. They are also committed to laying the groundwork for a future bio-sourced synthetic rubber industry in France.
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In the summer of 2012, LanzaTech and INVISTA (think Lycra and Dacron) inked a joint development agreement to develop one-step and two-step technologies to convert industrial waste gas carbon monoxide into butadiene. Initial commercialization was expected in 2016, the partners said at the time.
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In spring 2013, Cobalt Technologies announced a strategic relationshipwith two prominent, but undisclosed, Asian chemical companies for the development of butadiene from a range of biomass feedstocks. READ MORE