NREL bioengineering process makes biobased flocculants for commercial use possible

March 27, 2022 |

In Colorado, new patented technology from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory makes it possible to produce flocculants from biomass, providing an environmentally sustainable and cost-competitive alternative to chemicals currently made from petroleum.

Mars Materials was granted an option for an exclusive license to use NREL’s renewable acrylonitrile technology in producing bio-based flocculants for commercial use. Mars, a startup that produces low-cost, carbon-negative chemicals and materials, aims to produce the acrylamide from captured carbon dioxide and corn-based biomass.

In addition to benefiting the environment through the use of renewable feedstocks, the renewable nitrilation process delivers higher yields and is safer and more energy efficient than methods used to produce petrochemical-based acrylamide.

Category: Research

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