Bulk Chemicals

Sonichem converts lignocellulosic biomasses into cellulose, natural sugars, and lignin. These biomasses include hard and soft woods, sugar cane bagasse, straws, and grasses. Over 95% of the feedstocks are transformed into valuable products. Using ultrasound to break chemical bonds, this technology separates woody feedstocks into a fractioned mixture of cellulose, sugars, and lignin. The fractioned mixture is then separated into high-quality biochemical products with mild organic solvents. These solvents are received and reused, reducing the inventory of chemicals held on site.

Trillium has developed a technology that produces bio-ACN™ from glycerol. Glycerol is a renewable feedstock that is a byproduct of converting natural oils and fats into soaps, detergents, and biofuels. Bio-ACN™ has a 70% lower carbon footprint than petroleum-based acrylonitrile. This process is scalable and cost-competitive due to the use of an efficient catalytic process that dehydrates glycerin to acrolein. Acrylonitrile is then produced by reacting acrolein with oxygen and ammonia.

Replicates the natural processes of plants in smart cell factories to create a variety of products more sustainably and efficiently. Manus Bio developed an advanced technology designed to recreate plant processes in microorganisms to produce natural ingredients through fermentation. The AI-augmented computational protein design platform, MLEAP®, enables users to discover, develop, and optimize enzymes for different applications.

AI-engineeered enzymes for the production of chemicals without fermentation. This company uses AI to engineer enzymes and metal catalysts that do not require fermentation, allowing for the production of molecules at room temperature without toxins and waste. This process uses safe feedstocks, such as sugars, air, and carbon dioxide. It is also scalable and cost efficient. This process also eliminates fermentation, costly immobilization, air emissions, and wastewater emissions. Their factory, Bioforge™, produces one ton of product per ton of feedstock.

Renewable and biodegradable oils. Estolides are oligomeric fatty acid esters that can be a bio-based alternative to conventional motor oils and industrial lubricants. This alternative avoids permanent damage to water bodies and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 90%. Estolides are also biodegradable.

Synthetic methodology for the development of 4-ADPA. 4-Aminodiphenylamine (4-ADPA) is a key building block for rubber preservatives. Many aromatic amines are made with halogenated reagents, especially those containing chlorine. The Eastman Chemical Company's previous production of 4-ADPA is based on the chlorination of benzene. This process produced aqueous waste with high levels of inorganic salts that are difficult and expensive to treat. This process also required the storage and handling of large quantities of chlorine gas, which is hazardous to human health.

Solid chemistry water treatment. Solid chemistry replaces the heavy, hazardous drums of liquid chemistry used in water treatment. Solid chemistry eliminates the splashing and spilling of liquids, making delivery safer, cleaner, and easier. This technology is more cost-effective as it reduces shipping costs and eliminates expensive storage constraints and disposal fees. The process is also sustainable as it is composed of only biodegradable materials and eliminates dangerous spills and contributions to landfills.