R&D
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Modern Meadow launches biofabricated leather
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The biofabrication age has arrived and according to New Jersey-based bio-advanced materials developer, Modern Meadow, it will start next year soft commercial launches of products made from its first biofabricated leather material under the brand name Zoa™. I was able to attend Modern Meadow’s pop-up exhibit here in New York City (SoHo) to see for…
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Covestro develops bio-based aniline
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I’ve written a more comprehensive analysis of Covestro’s development of bio-based aniline at Tecnon OrbiChem’s September Biomaterials issue. According to Covestro, about 5m tons/year of petro-based aniline is produced worldwide and the company is a leading producer with a capacity of about 1m tons/year, for use largely as a precursor for rigid polyurethane foam. Covestro…
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NatureWorks launches Performance Chemicals Division
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While NatureWorks has already been working on this new business model of launching lactides-based performance chemicals a year back, the company finally made it official with a new division and product line called Vercet™, which aims to supply lactides, polyols, binder resins and chemical intermediates to companies that manufacture innovative coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers…
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EU bio-solvent project, ReSolve, launched
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ReSolve, a €4.3 million EU project focused on replacing traditional, fossil-based solvents, was officially launched today. Led by the University of York, the project consortium is comprised of 11 partners from 5 different countries, including Circa Group subsidiary company Circa Sustainable Chemicals UK Ltd. ReSolve, an abbreviation of ‘Renewable solvents with high performance in applications…
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Anellotech starts Bio-BTX pilot production tests
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Bio-aromatics technology developer, Anellotech, along with its engineering partner, IFPEN/Axens, announced late last month that it has completed a successful continuous performance test of the TCat-8 pilot plant as part of unit commissioning in Silsbee, Texas. The test involved continuous injection of MinFree(tm) woody biomass feedstock and production of BTX and other chemical by-products. The…
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Clothing industry turns to biotech
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I love the fashion industry but admittedly it is one of the most wasteful and energy-intensive industry. The global textile industry reportedly accounts for 17-20% of global industrial water pollution. Maybe synthetic biology and biotechnology can help solve this problem. Last month, Bolt Threads, a California-based biotechnology start-up has launched a limited edition (50 pieces…
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Got QMilch? An interview from Bio-Based World News
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This is the first time I’ve heard of this Germany-based start-up company called QMilch and Bio-Based World News was kind enough to share their interview (by Emily Dowd) with the blog. The company is using waste milk to create textile fibers. QMilch CEO and Founder, Anke Domaske will be speaking at Bio-Based Live conference, which…