Renewable

Toner made from soy and corn biomass. This toner uses polyester, polyamide, and polyurethane resins made from soy oil, protein, and carbohydrates extracted from corn. Conventional petroleum-based toners that use synthetic resins (such as styrene acrylates and styrene butadiene) are challenging to remove from papers during recycling. While toners that facilitate the de-inking process have been developed, they are much more expensive than traditional toners. Contrarily, these soy and corn-based toners have a more competitive price.

Electricity-free mobile refrigeration technology using only sun and water. Refrigeration unit that is lightweight, easy to carry, and fully portable. Product requires no electricity and emits no greenhouse gas emissions. Uses PhaseTek™ technology; when the internal reservoir of the product is filled with any water source, the product undergoes evaporative cooling, reducing the internal storage space by 10-15 degrees Celsius. Refrigeration reduces spoilage, which reduces waste.

Phytoglycogen sustainably extracted from kernels of sweet corn for cosmetic applications. This phytoglycogen is a highly branched polysaccharide with a unique spherical dendrimer structure that has similar effects to animal-derived glycogen. Phytoglycogen is non-toxic, hypoallergenic, and biodegradable. The product promotes collagen and hyaluronic acid production in skin cells by increasing cellular metabolism, reducing wrinkles and fine lines, and improving skin hydration.

Paper products made by using an enzyme to digest straw into pulp. The enzyme eliminates the need for harsh chemicals used in traditional pulping methods, reducing water and energy consumption. Mobious straw paper and molded pulp products are made from waste straw bought from local farmers in China, which reduces CO2 emissions as less straw is burned. 

Lactones, salts, crystals, and other forms of high-purity glucaric acid through fermentation using microbes from biomass. kalion Inc. uses patented microbes from biomass through synthetic biological processes to produce lactones, salts, crystals, and other forms of high-purity glucaric acid through fermentation. Glucaric acid can replace phosphates and chelating agents in detergents and waste treatment. The traditional use of phosphates and chelating agents may include eutrophication, which may interfere with the removal and treatment of toxic metals.

Performance additive that enables asphalt recycling. This additive enables the high-end reuse of recycled asphalt. It improves resource efficiency by reducing the need for new aggregates and bitumen. The additive is derived from crude tail oil (CTO), which is a biobased raw byproduct from the paper industry. This product is resistant to harsh weather conditions and has high performance throughout its durable life. The product also does not release harmful components during production and application.

Enzymes that prevent contaminants, or stickies, from agglomerating and interfering with recycling, pulp, and paper machine operations. Stickies downgrade quality, reduce output, and cost the pulp and paper industry tens of millions of dollars annually. Optimyze® prevents stickies from agglomerating and interfering with recycling, pulp, and paper machine operations, reducing downtime, producing packing with improved quality, and increasing profits. This technology uses an esterase enzyme that serves as a catalyst for the hydrolysis of stickies into poly, a water-soluble polymer.

Flexible foam derived from soybean oil. Polyols are the key ingredient in making foams flexible and versatile. BiOH® polyols are soy-based ingredients for flexible foam in furniture, mattresses, pillows, and cushions. Traditional foams are derived from petroleum-based products. These polyols also have superior performance. The process occurs in mild temperatures and atmospheric pressure and is energy efficient and cost-effective. Using BiOH® technology, customers are able to create foam products with renewable content ranging from 5 to 20%.

Process for renewable bio-1,4-butanediol (BDO). Geno BDO™ is a process that derives BDO from plant sugars instead of fossil fuel feedstocks. BDO can be used in a variety of everyday materials and consumer products, such as spandex, shoes, cars, and electronics. This novel process is cost-effecting and estimated to result in 90% carbon reduction. Producing all BDO with the Geno BDO™ process would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 14 million tons.