27 January 2019
Synvina is a 100% owned company of Avantium.
Synvina aims to become market leader
in the production and marketing of
furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA),
which is produced from renewable resources,
as well as the marketing of
the new polymer polyethylenefuranoate (PEF).
FDCA is a building block for various products,
most significantly the polyester PEF,
which is suitable for use in the packaging industry,
for example. By offering superior characteristics
such as improved barrier properties
and higher mechanical strength
compared to conventional plastics,
PEF challenges long-established products
like conventional PET, aluminum or glass bottles.
FDCA – TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE FEEDSTOCK
From plant-based materials to FDCA and PEF
2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) can be used
as a replacement for terephthalic acid (TA),
a petroleum-based monomer primarily used to produce PET.
FDCA polymerization
PEF is a polyester based on
FDCA and monoethylene glycol (MEG).
The polymerization process used to make PEF
has already been successfully initiated at pilot plant scale.
From this pilot plant, we have delivered PEF to our partners,
where we are currently developing and evaluating applications.
The FDCA monomer offers exciting opportunities
to create a wide range of polymers. These include
polyesters, polyamides and polyurethanes
as well as coating resins, plasticizers
and other chemical products.
Find out more about potential applications.
DETAILS
Avantium has retaken full ownership of
its YXY plants-to-plastics technology
through the purchase of BASF’s shares
Avantium has appointed
Marcel Lubben as Managing Director of Synvina
to lead the commercialization of
the YXY technology, effective 1 February 2019.
Avantium has regained
the intellectual property, people and assets for YXY
and has paid BASF €13.7 million for its equity stake
in Synvina, as agreed in the Joint Venture Agreement.
A net payment of €3.7 million was made
for full ownership of the assets
acquired by Synvina in the last two years.
Synvina has become a new business unit of Avantium,
alongside the existing
Catalysis and Renewable Chemistries business units.
Avantium’s renewable chemistry programs include
Dawn Technology™, which converts non-food feedstock
to industrial sugars and lignin, and
the Mekong technology, which transforms
sugars into plant-based monoethylene glycol (MEG)
used in the production of materials including
renewable plastics and polyesters.
Tom van Aken,
Chief Executive Officer of Avantium
“Our belief in YXY and its market potential is rock-solid.
Producing FDCA and PEF is a complex innovation process
that requires a completely new value chain.
I am convinced that the work done so far
and the value chain we have built
will spur the commercialization of PEF.
We have the people, ambition and expertise
to bring FDCA and PEF successfully to market,
and are very pleased Marcel Lubben
will strengthen the team to spearhead this.”
Marcel Lubben,
new Managing Director of Synvina
“Green, innovative materials are essential elements
in the global transition to a circular economy.
I have been following the progress on YXY for several years
and am impressed by how it has been built out
to a platform for unique materials
with significant performance benefits.
I am delighted to assume leadership
of this Avantium business unit
and bring this important technology to market.”
For more information:
Caroline van Reedt Dortland,
Director Communications,
Avantium
+31-20-586-0110 / +31-6-1340-0179
caroline.vanreedt-dortland@avantium.com
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