Avantium and Origin Materials partner to accelerate PEF

In Amsterdam, two leading bioplastic makers have partnered to accelerate development of polyethylene furanoate, a 100% plant-based, fully recyclable plastic material with properties appropriate for replacing many plastics, including high-volume polyethylene terephthalate.

The deal was signed last week between Avantium N.V., a producer of PEF-precursor furandicarboxylic acid and Origin Materials, Inc., a US-based manufactutrer of chloromethylfurfural, which can cost-effectively be converted to FDCA. The partnership aims to bring the technology platforms of both companies together in order to produce FDCA from sustainable wood residues on an industrial scale.

The technology partnership between Avantium and Origin includes a non-exclusive industrial technology license agreement, providing Origin Materials access to relevant parts of Avantium’s process technology to enable the conversion of Origin-produced CMF derivatives into FDCA at a 100,000 metric tons per annum scale facility. Under the technology license agreement, Avantium grants Origin a non-exclusive license to use certain parts of Avantium’s proprietary YXY® process (including certain patent rights) for the purpose of designing, constructing and operating the licensed facility and producing, using, selling and converting FDCA manufactured at that facility.