In another step toward commercialisation of its “YXY” technology (www.yxy.com) for PEF, a bio-based alternative to PET in beverage bottles, Dutch-based R&D company Avantium (Amsterdam; www.avantium.com) has signed a joint development agreement with Danone (Paris / France; www.danone.com). The French group is world’s number two in the bottled water market.

In late 2011, Avantium signed a technology pact with Coca-Cola (Atlanta, Georgia / USA; www.thecoca-colacompany.com) – see Plasteurope.com of 20.12.2011. It also is working with Solvay (Brussels / Belgium; www.solvay.com) to explore next-generation high-performance polyamides based on YXY. The company, which recently started up a 40,000 t/y pilot plant at Geleen / The Netherlands, is also in “active discussions with other leading brand owners to develop bottles, fibres and film made of PEF".

The YXY technology uses carbohydrate feedstock to enable production of “green” products, using Avantium’s catalytic process. The company said it is currently validating the use of existing supply and recycling chains to enable “a full transition” to PEF in three to five years. Part of its work with Danone will be validating a recent life cycle analysis by the Copernicus Institute at Utrecht University in The Netherlands showing that PEF has a 50-60% lower carbon footprint than petrochemically produced PET.