Danimer and CPChem Partner on PHA
Bioplastics producer Danimer Scientific is collaborating with Chevron Phillips Chemical (CPChem) to explore a loop slurry reactor design for making a type of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) called Rinnovo. The Rinnovo PHA is synthesized from lactones produced using Danimer’s proprietary Novo22 catalyst technology, which can be used to make biodegradable alternatives to traditional, fossil-based plastics.
Under the partnership, Danimer will evaluate the use of CPChem’s reactor design to develop a continuous system to make Rinnnovo. If successful, Danimer said the newly designed reactor is expected to increase manufacturing plant utilization, drive higher production volumes and reduce overall costs compared with the existing polymerization reactor that produces the PHA.
“CPChem’s loop slurry technology is one of the world’s most renowned processes for producing polyolefins efficiently and economically,” said Danimer CEO Stephen Croskrey. “This collaboration enhances our strategy of accelerating the production of our biodegradable polymers to better serve our customers and reduce the environmental impacts of plastic waste.”
First introduced in 1961, CPChem’s loop slurry processes produce a wide range of resins for a variety of applications, with the technology said to account for a significant portion of current global high-density polyethylene capacity.
Author: Elaine Burridge, Freelance Journalist
