With the help of 20 t of bio-based 1,4-butanediol (BDO) utilising the process technology from US biotech company Genomatica (San Diego, California; www.genomatica.com), German speciality chemicals producer Lanxess (Leverkusen; www.lanxess.com) has produced bio-based polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) for the first time at its Hamm-Uentrop site. In a media release, the company stated that the 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 commercial-scale plant for PBT compounds in Hamm-Uentrop has an annual capacity of 80,000 t and is run under the auspices of the joint venture DuBay Polymer (Hamm-Uentrop), with Lanxess and DuPont (Wilmington, Delaware / USA; www.dupont.com) each owning 50%. According to a spokesperson from Lanxess, who spoke to Plasteurope.com about the plant, the plans from 2011 to double the compound capacity have simply not yet been realised by the JV. Originally the commissioning of the expansion was planned for the beginning of 2012 - see Plasteurope.com from 11.03.2011.

The process developed by Genomatica converts sugars, a renewable feedstock, into BDO through a patented, direct fermentation process. German chemicals giant BASF (Ludwigshafen; www.basf.com) is also planning to build a commercial-scale plant to produce bio-based BDO utilising a Genomatica licence – see Plasteurope.com from 15.05.2013. In addition, the Italian chemicals producer Versalis, based in Milan, has already entered into a technology JV with the Californian biotech company with the goal of producing bio-based butadiene – see Plasteurope.com from 15.04.2013.

"We are 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," exclaimed Hartwig Meier, head of global product and application development Lanxess. “This is a tremendous step forward in our future plans to offer our high-tech plastic Pocan in a bio-based version. Due to its unchanged properties "Pocan" compounds based on bio-based PBT can directly be used in established applications such as automotive or E&E area. It fits very well with our ‘green mobility’ strategy.”