Bio-succinic acid producer Myriant announced another partnership following its recent deal with Turkish chemical distributor Bayegan Group.

Myriant said it has signed a distribution deal with Hamburg, Germany-based BCD Chemie to market and distribute Myriant’s bio-succinic acid and Myrifilm solvent in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. No other new pertinent information has really been announced aside from the name of the partner although the mention of the bio-based solvent Myrifilm caught my eye.

Big opportunities for bio-based solvents

According to Myriant, the solvent is a broad spectrum, low-odor and high efficiency coalescing solvent with zero VOC (volatile organic compound). On the company’s website, the solvent produced from bio-based succinic acid feedstock, is used in adhesives, paints and coatings for carpets, papers, etc. Used with acrylics, styrene-acrylics and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, it offers a replacement for conventional coalescing solvents.

Reverdia — another bio-succinic acid producer which is a joint venture between DSM and Roquette — recently launched a di-methyl succinate product under the trademark Provichem 2511 Eco, which the company said can be used as a solvent as well as a raw material for fine chemicals such as pigments and UV stabilizers.

According to Reverdia, di-methyl succinate as solvents have a good paint removal properties and could be a sustainable alternantive to dibasic ester solvents (or other petroleum-based solvents). Reverdia is also marketing this solvent through its Belgium-based partner Proviron.

The blog also wonders if Myriant’s solvent Myrifilm could also be made of 1,4 butanediol (BDO) or tetrahydrofuran, which can be derived from succinic acid.