24 May 2016
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DETAILS
World leader in 5-HMF production, AVA-CO2
has successfully developed its patented,
water-based 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) process
even further.
A newly developed interface allows for
the use of different solvents which are tailored
to the oxidation processes for producing
2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) on an industrial scale.
This development enables a more flexible implementation
of industrial 5-HMF and FDCA production, paving
the way for using
polyethylene furanoate (PEF)
in competitive application markets such as
bottles or films for food packaging.
A downstream product of 5-HMF,
* FDCA is the basis for PEF.
* PEF has superior product properties such as
an improved gas barrier, a higher modulus
and a lower melting point compared to
petro-based polyethylene terephthalate (PET),
a less sustainable alternative
which PEF can replace.
As well as targeting bottling or films for food packaging,
AVA-CO2 sees additional potential
to open up new markets, which have so far not been
served by PET or other plastics.
PEF-based products can also be used use
in the cosmetics, personal care, detergent
and medical technology industries.
The water-based process patented by AVA-CO2
for a low-cost industrial production of
bio-based platform chemical 5-HMF
is scalable and provides the ‘missing link’
for large-scale production of FDCA and PEF.
The new development will allow AVA-CO2
to use water as well as other solvents
such as acetic acid in FDCA oxidation processes
based on 5-HMF.
The new interface allows for example
for the use of 5-HMF as
a ‘drop-in’ in
purified terephthalic acid (PTA) production plants.
In 2019, AVA-CO2 will start production of 5-HMF / FDCA
in an industrial production plant
with a total capacity of 120,000 tonnes FDCA per year.
In a first phase starting in 2019, the plant
will produce 30,000 tonnes of FDCA
to be use for specific PEF applications.
First PEF products
– based on 5-HMF produced by AVA-CO2 subsidiary company
– will be jointly-produced and tested
with globally active partners from the value chain.
A first financing round for the plant’s engineering work
has already been completed.
Contact AVA-CO2
Thomas M. Kläusli
Chief Marketing Officer
Baarerstrasse 20
CH-6302 Zug
T +41 41 727 09 81
M +41 78 936 74 81
E tk@ava-co2.com
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