Green Chemicals Blog

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    VIDEO: Biodegradable Mannequin from Bonaveri

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    I find this biodegradable mannequin very interesting and I’m hoping to learn more about the raw materials and companies who supply these new materials. Bonaveri, a leading Italian manufacturer of artistic mannequins and bust forms, has recently unveiled a biodegradable mannequin  (said to be the world’s first) during London’s Fashion Week at the Green Carpet…

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    Bio-based polyamides update

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    I’ve been always monitoring activities from the bio-polyamides sector as I consider the nylon industry a high-potential area for bio-based chemicals. Here’s a slide from a presentation I gave early this year featuring various building blocks and intermediates required to produce a certain polyamide. The green arrows indicate current R&D/commercial production for bio-based alternatives. But of course,…

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    EPA calls for 2017 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards nomination

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    My apologies for the lack of posts this month as I have been busy working on Tecnon OrbiChem’s new blog site and other social media networks. We also launched late last month our new Handbook of Commercial Bio-based Chemicals and it is great to say that it has gathered quite an attention from both the petrochemicals…

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    Gevo produces cellulosic jet fuel

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    I’m really noticing a lot of renewable jet fuel announcements this year, and I mentioned this at the recent Pan American Oleochemicals conference that I attended in Miami this week since I also presented a bit on the renewable diesel market. Anyway, Gevo announced this week that it has completed production of the world’s first…

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    BASF, Avantium form Synvina JV

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    Commercial FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid) production will be coming soon as Avantium and BASF formally announced the formation of Synvina, a joint venture to be based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, that will produce and market FDCA as well as market the new polymer, polyethylenefuranoate (PEF) based on FDCA. The JV is planning to invest a mid-three-digit…

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    First bio-BDO commercial plant opens

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    The world’s first sugar-based 1,4 butanediol plant has finally opened as Mater-Biotech, a 100% company owned by Italian bioplastic producer, Novamont, started its 30 ktpa bio-BDO plant in Bottrighe di Adria (Rovigo, Italy), which uses Genomatica’s process technology. The initial capacity of the plant was targeted at 18 ktpa, but this was expanded to 30…

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    JetBlue to use renewable jet fuel

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    JetBlue recently announced a ten-year purchase agreement with bioenergy company, SG Preston, for the purchase of renewable jet fuel produced from hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA). For those who are unfamiliar with this type of fuel, it is mostly based on hydrotreated fats and oils comparable to Neste’s renewable fuel product. According to the…