DSM gives Genomatica’s biobased BDO two thumbs up

October 9, 2013 |

In California and Singapore, Royal DSM and Genomatica announced that DSM confirmed BDO made with Genomatica’s process had excellent purity and shows equivalent performance as fossil-based BDO. DSM plans to use BDO made with Genomatica’s bio-based process technology in its Arnitel products. Used as a raw material, BDO made from Genomatica’s process is able to increase Arnitel’s bio-based content up to 73%.

Arnitel is a high performance engineering plastic with flexibility, high temperature resistance, strength and excellent processing characteristics. DSM conducted in-depth tests with bio-based BDO, made with Genomatica’s process, to produce PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), one of the building blocks of Arnitel TPC.

DSM’s tests confirm that the bio-based BDO made with Genomatica’s process was of higher purity than typical fossil-based BDO. Additionally, when used to form polymers, this bio-based BDO delivers equivalent in-spec behavior and properties of the polymers compared to using petroleum-based BDO, and required no changes in DSM’s processes. As a result, DSM considers BDO made with Genomatica’s process to be a suitable raw material for commercial production of Arnitel.

DSM plans to start transitioning its Arnitel portfolio to this new BDO, as soon as supplies are readily available from one of the producers that Genomatica licenses to use its BDO process.

A technical white paper on the subject is available here.

Category: Top Stories

Thank you for visting the Digest.