18.02.2016 • NewsElaine BurridgePetrochemicalsVersalis

Versalis and Genomatica Develop Bio-based Rubber

Italian petrochemicals producer Versalis, a subsidiary of energy group Eni, and its joint venture partner US bioengineering company Genomatica have been succeeding in making bio-rubber from bio-butadiene (bio-BD) in a pilot-scale facility.

According to the companies, the successful production of bio-polybutadiene (bio-BR) is a remarkable milestone for the rubber industry as it enables an improved technological and sustainability footprint; it is also a significant development for the broader butadiene industry, which produces more than 10 million t of the rubber chemical annually.

The bio-BD is made from a newly developed on-purpose process using various types of sugars as renewable feedstock rather than the traditional hydrocarbons.

The jv partners said they first determined 1,3 butanediol (1,3-BDO) to be the most suitable intermediate to produce bio-BD. Genomatica then developed a microorganism that produced 1,3-BDO in a way that enabled cost-efficient, scalable fermentation, recovery and subsequent process operations and Versalis leveraged its process engineering and catalysis capabilities as well as its polymer expertise to purify the 1,3-BDO, dehydrate it and then purify the resulting BD.

Versalis has made several kilograms of BD from 1,3-BDO at its research centers in Novara and Mantua, both in Italy. It makes bio-BR at its Ravenna, Italy, R&D center using both anionic and Ziegler-Natta catalysis.

The companies say initial testing of the bio-BDE and bio-BR has demonstrated good compatibility with industry standards. Versalis is continuing to test the bio-BD within its other proprietary rubber and plastics technologies such as styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), styrene-butadiene-styrene rubber (SBS) and ABS polymer.

The joint venture of Versalis and Genomatica was founded in early 2013 to develop a complete end-to-end process for on-purpose production of BD from non-food biomass. The partners plan to license the technology.

Free Virtual Event

Sustainability in Bioprocessing
Bioprocess Forum

Sustainability in Bioprocessing

Join us to explore hot topics in sustainable bioprocessing like the industrial potential of enzymatic synthesis, innovative biocatalysis techniques, and the use of digital twins in bioprocessing.

Whitepaper

Excellence in Pharmaceutical Distribution and The Critical Role of Good Distribution Practice (GDP)
Setting the Standard

Excellence in Pharmaceutical Distribution and The Critical Role of Good Distribution Practice (GDP)

Are you ready to elevate your pharmaceutical operations? Download our exclusive whitepaper and discover how compliance with Good Distribution Practice (GDP) is essential for the safety and integrity of pharmaceuticals.