Biobased Companies Tackle Organic Acids

Three companies are claiming advances in the commercialization of organic acids from biobased feedstocks. Rennovia has started up a pilot plant for making glucaric acid from glucose at the Stockton, England, site of partner Johnson Matthey. Rennovia plans to use the compound to make the nylon 6,6 intermediate adipic acid. In France, Deinove says it has developed a fermentation route to muconic acid, which can be used to make adipic acid as well as the polyester raw material terephthalic acid. And Plaxica will collaborate with synthetic fibers giant Invista on a route to lactic acid. Plaxica uses chemical transformation, rather than fermentation, to produce the biopolymer raw material.