06. Jul 2017

New Dutch initiative aims to jumpstart bio-based innovation

Two new initiatives in the Netherlands aim to realise an open access pilot plant for polymerisation in order to boost production of plastics based on biomaterials.

,The catalyst for both initiatives is the Biobased Performance Materials research programme, coordinated by Wageningen Food & Biobased Research. The programme facilitates fundamental and applied research into new biobased materials that can compete with their fossil counterparts and is sponsored by the Dutch government’s top sector Chemistry.

“When the end market is not sufficiently in sight, a dedicated polymerisation pilot plant is often too costly and risky for individual companies,” says Christiaan Bolck, director of the BPM programme. “This is why the BPM programme aims to scale up the production of new polymers with open access pilot initiatives that can result in unique properties and/or application possibilities. There are currently no facilities with the required specialist knowledge available to companies who are looking to scale up but cannot or will not invest in a dedicated pilot plant on their own. Due to the economic opportunities for upscaling – and potential spin-off — it would be best if such a pilot is linked to a suitable industrial infrastructure.”

The first pilot facility, planned in Etten-Leur, is focused on ring-opening polymerisation of biobased monomers. Jan Noordegraaf (general director at Synbra Technology) explains: “The realisation of this pilot, adjacent to the Synbra premises, enables the development of new copolymers which can convert new biobased monomers into polymers in an infrastructure that we have always wanted to achieve with the parties in the Biobased Delta.” Five larger and ten smaller companies have already indicated a desire to make use of the pilot.

The second pilot facility is planned in Emmen, at the Sustainable Polymer Innovation Campus (SPIC). “The SPIC innovation cluster already has all the required hardware, and enables us to easily make the link to applications, such as multifilament yarns or monofilaments for 3D printing,” says Gerard Nijhoving (managing director of Senbis, a company that carries out applied research in the field of polymers).

“Emmen has already realised lots of research into polycondensation to improve the performance of polyester and polyamide yarns. We have received many questions over recent years regarding biopolymers, in particular, as they often have a polyester-like structure. As upscaling these can be difficult we are initiating a polycondensation pilot facility with a capacity of 50 to 100 kg a day.”

Privacy policy notice

This website uses external components, such as Fonts, maps, videos or analysis tools that can all be used to collect data about your behavior. Privacy policy