Renewable

Paptic® Packaging Materials

Packaging material made of renewable wood fibers. Paptic® is bio-based, recyclable, reusable, and biodegradable. It outperforms paper and has smaller environmental impact than cotton. The material is also distinctive in its texture and appearance. Paptic® is made using renewable, wood-based fibers from sustainably managed forests. Paptic® is produced using current paper machines that require slight modifications, making the process sustainable and scalable. Paptic is tear resistant, moisture resistant, flexible, soft, food contact approved, and porous.

Biodegradable PHA Plastics

Coverts abundant methane gas into biodegradable materials. Methane is the byproduct of several essential operations. Unfortunately, there are not many economically beneficial uses of methane. This company posits its factories next to existing methane production facilities. Using methanotrophs (a type of bacteria), the company naturally produces PHA; methanotrophs store carbon within their cell walls as PHA. More specifically, the methanotrophs produce pure P3HB, which is a member of the PHA family. The methanotrophs used in the process are also not genetically modified.

Ingeo™

Polylactic acid (PLA) made from greenhouse gases. This process transforms greenhouse gases into PLA by using agricultural crops to sequester carbon and transform it to simple plant sugars through photosynthesis. The plants are milled to extract glucose as starch. Enzymes are then added to convert the glucose to dextrose via hydrolysis. Microorganisms then ferment the dextrose into lactic acid. Lactic acid is converted to lactide and lactide is polymerized into Ingeo™ PLA by opening the lactide ring and linking them together to form a long polylactide polymer chain.

Novo22™ - Rinnovo™

Catalysts that use carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide to produce polymers. Carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide are ideal feedstocks for chemistry because they are abundant, renewable, and easily extracted at low costs. This technology polymerizes carbon dioxide and epoxides into polycarbonates that can be used as feedstocks to produce pharmaceuticals and plastics. Novomer Inc. uses polycarbonate coating in their electronics through a process called Novo™.

AirCarbon

Plastic polymer made from the contact between methane-based gas mixture and common atmospheric gases. This technology uses natural ocean organisms to make PHB from air and greenhouse gases. This PHB is AirCarbon. AirCarbon can be melted and cooled into fibers, sheets, and solid parts in order replace synthetic plastic and animal leather. PHB is natural and natural microorganisms can consume it. AirCarbon anaerobically digests into greenhouse gases that can be used to make new Air Carbon.

Eucodis Bioscience Enzymes

Custom enzymes for biopharma, fine chemicals, cosmetics, and other industries. This company generates novel enzyme-based biocatalysts for industrial and white biotechnology applications. Currently, they have made over 50 enzymes, including innovative lipases, beta-lactamases, peroxidases, and other enzymes. Enzymes are an alternative to complex synthesis steps as they only require a single biocatalytic step that reduces energy and chemical consumption by enabling chemical reactions to occur at lower temperatures.

Green Synthesis of Taxol via Plant Cell Fermentation and Extraction

Plant cell fermentation (PCF®) synthetic method to produce paclitaxel, the active substance in Taxol. Paclitaxel is conventionally produces from a precursor extracted from the European yew tree. Isolating paclitaxel kills the tree during extraction because it requires stripping the bark. Yew bark also does not contain much of the precursor. BMS has developed a new method to manufacture the precursor through PCF®. The system uses renewable nutrients (sugars and amino acids) and operates under controlled conditions at ambient temperatures and pressures.

Gevo Hydrocarbons Production

Plant-based hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbon-based chemicals and fuels are traditionally petroleum-based. This company produces hydrocarbon-based chemical commodities from plant biomass. This process is renewable and works with most carbohydrate feedstock. More specifically, the company uses sustainably raised corn. Corn is used because it draws a lot of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The carbohydrate content and protein content in plant biomass are separated. The protein can be used in other industries.

SperoSet™ and SPERLU™

Renewable and recyclable thermoset polymers from non-edible biomass. Conventional thermoset polymers are based on petroleum feedstocks and are non-recyclable. SperoSet produces fully recyclable thermoset polymers that based from non-edible biomass. Because of SperoSet's chemically reversible bonds, it is degradable in organic or aqueous solutions under mild conditions, recyclable with orignal thermal and mechanical properties, and repairable and weldable through chemical bond exchange reactions. Reversible bonds eliminates the need for metal catalysts or extra monomers in recycling.

Sustainable High-Performing Biopolymers

Sustainable biopolymers. EcoMer® is a family of VOC-free, bio-based monomers created from glucose derived from sustainable sources. EcoMer can be copolymerized with conventional vinyl monomers to produce polymers that can be used in pressure sensitive adhesives. EcoStix® —a family of sugar-acrylic, pressure-sensitive adhesives — incoporates EcoMer technology. EcoStix is recyclable and repulpable. EcoSphere® Biolatex® binders are used in the paper and paperboard industry. They are lower cost, better quality, more productive, and superior in performance to traditional binders.

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