BASF and Avantium are working to establish a joint venture (JV) for the production and marketing of furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), as well as marketing of polyethylenefuranoate (PEF), based on this new chemical building block.
FDCA is produced from renewable resources.
The JV will use the YXY process developed by Avantium in its laboratories in Amsterdam and pilot plant in Geleen, the Netherlands to produce FDCA.
There are plans to further develop this process and construct a reference plant to produce FDCA with an annual capacity of up to 50,000 metric tons per year at BASF’s Verbund site in Antwerp, Belgium.
The aim is to build up world-leading positions in FDCA and PEF, and subsequently license the technology for industrial scale application.
New materials for improved food packaging films, plastic bottles
FDCA is the essential chemical building block for the production of PEF.
Compared to conventional plastics, PEF is characterized by improved barrier properties for gases like carbon dioxide and oxygen.
This can lead to longer shelf life of packaged products.
With higher mechanical strength, thinner PEF packaging can be produced, thus a lower amount of packaging material is necessary.
The companies say PEF is particularly suitable to produce certain food and beverage packaging such as films and plastic bottles.
After use, PEF can be recycled.
