NNFCC News Review: Biobased Products Issue 86, May 2019

Foreword

Here at NNFCC, and particularly within these pages, the entire bioeconomy is important to us, but naturally we are more invested in the projects we are directly involved in. This month, one such project has taken a notable step forward, with Merck’s launch of the biobased solvent Cyrene. Cyrene is a dipolar, aprotic solvent, for which the petroleum-based equivalents are coming under increased scrutiny. Dimethylformamide (DMF) and N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), have been restricted by the European Chemicals Agency due to their suspected toxicity, particularly to unborn children. The need for an alternative solvent could be solved by Cyrene, which has no such toxicity issues, and has the additional advantage of being biobased. However, such innovative products need to successfully be brought to market, and this was where NNFCC came in: we provided in-depth market research to Circa, the SME who have developed Cyrene, informing them of the market opportunities available for their novel solvent. We’re pleased to see........

Other News this Month Includes:

Markets

Chinese investment in Danish biotech company
ADM announces steps for long-term value creation

Research & Development

Producing "unnatural" polymers inside cells
Methods to reduce tar in biomass gasification
First long-term analysis of historic ocean plastic levels
More economic strategy for producing PEF
Enzymatic synthesis of lignin-derived pyridine polyesters

Polymers

Partnership aims to bring first spider silk fabrics to market
Nanocellulose-based fire-retardant coating
Braskem raising funds for Join the Pipe by distributing biobased bottles
EUBP claims study into plastic bag environmental impact has unsatisfying conclusions

Chemicals

Biobased Cyrene solvent launched
DuPont releases enzyme-based platform for cleaning medical instruments
Nouryon releases biobased asphalt adhesion agent
Celltice releases biobased active cosmetics ingredient
Anellotech's process for biobased aromatic chemicals proved viable
Nordfuel biorefinery to open in 2021
Partnership to power biorefinery with green hydrogen

Consumer Products

Bio-on and Kartell release biobased furniture
Target releases biobased cleaning product range
First biobased sunscreens go on sale
Collaboration seeks BioPreferred certification for personal care products
Joint venture to pursue paper bottles
Plastic to be removed from Guinness packaging