N°10 July 2012

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French biorefinery cluster, in the heart of plant-based chemistry and industrial biotechnologies.

FEDERATE, INNOVATE, VALUE, PROJECTS, PLANT BASED, COMPETITIVENESS, SKILLS, BIOBASED PRODUCTS, R&D, BIOMASS… sur-couv_recto_EN_v01.indd 1

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BIO 2012 AT ORLANDO

The first intermediates enter the industrial phase ADEBIOTECH SYMPOSIUM

Nothing is lost,

everything is transformed

Special Danone tests the use of report biobased materials BIOLUBRICANTS The sector organises itself FOOD PACKAGING

Éditorial

Polyéthylène téréphtalate

Soon to be 100% bio-based

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inally 100% bio-based PET could make its appearance on the market earlier than expected, that is, before 2020. Five giants of American industry have agreed to join forces in the “Plant PET Technology Collaborative.” In this prestigious task force are

the world’s largest soft drink maker Coca-Cola, the Ford Motor Company, the king of ketchup Heinz, the main sponsor of the French football team Nike, and the world champion in detergents Procter & Gamble. All of them use polyethylene terephthalate or PET on a large scale, either in their packaging, their textile fibres, or in floor mats. And they have calculated that their carbon footprint could be greatly improved by the use of this material in a 100% biobased version.

So far, between the two key components of PET, terephthalic acid (PTA) and ethylene glycol, only ethylene glycol is available in a bio-based version, made from bio-ethanol. However, terephthalic acid is an aromatic compound obtained by oxidation of xylene. Outside the laboratory, no company is currently able to produce to produce such aromatic compounds on a large scale from plants. Thus, when Coca-Cola launched its “PlantBottle”, it was only 30% renewable.

Similarly, for French company Danone, their new Volvic bottle is only partly plant based.

Sylvie Latieule Chief editor slatieule@etai.fr

Coca-Cola, Ford, Heinz, Nike and Procter & Gamble have decided to join forces.

Several start-ups are nevertheless working on meeting this challenge.

Coca Cola has already independently signed agreements on this with Virent, Gevo and Avantium. One is based on a platform of chemical catalysis which proposes to convert raw plant material into sugars and aromatics via dehydration. A specialist in biotechnological isobutanol, Gevo has developed a paraxylene via isobutanol. For its part, Avantium has devised a plan B. Promoting the development of PEF or polyethylene furanoate, rather of PET. Since its inception, the start-up has been working

on utilising its YXY platform based on furan derivatives. Along with Coca Cola, Danone has also signed with Avantium in order to further explore this route (see p?).

All of this research will likely not be fast enough for these large American companies who are eager to access 100% plant based PET, and the new alliance is expected to expedite the work in order to achieve commercial solutions within a more reasonable timeframe. But above all it is an unexpected hope for the future of the bioplastics industry in the United States, which is threatened by the lower price of ethylene due to the exploitation of shale gas and the start-up of new capacities for terephthalic acid in Asia. But this time, five powerful companies have publicly committed to be more virtuous in terms of the environment and their customers would not accept a U-turn. And so, whatever the cost, plant based solutions should have the final word.

FormuleVerte - N°10 - July 2012

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Contents

N°10 - July 2012

22 Special rep

Green 06 Showcase

rt

BIOLUBRICANTS The sector gradually

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organizes itself

© Novance

08 In light BIOBASED CHEMISTRY

The first intermediates enter the industrial phase

BIOTECHNOLOGY

Enzymes, the issues of industrial biocatalysis

BIOREFINERIES

Despite their undeniable ecological benefits, biolubricants are still struggling to get established compared to synthetic lubricants.

But the rise of green chemistry and advances in R&D should lead these types of lubricants to develop in the longer term.

& 18 Research Development

33 Suppliers

METATHESIS

PREINDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION

More efficient catalysts in organic chemistry

Nothing is lost, everything is transformed

NEW PRODUCTS

SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY

© sxc.hu/irum

Iso-Ingénierie offers their service to players in biomass

© Omega Cat System

The Aquitaine region mobilises

FURNITURE

ACTUALITÉS

FOOD PACKAGING

30 Focus

Furniture professionals looking for new plant based furniture solutions

Danone tests the use of biobased materials

Iterg equips itself to better support industrial players

36 Index List of the companies

The use of plant proteins is at the heart of Improve project

DETERGENTS

Salveco champions plant based formulations

PRODUCTS

Rilsan becomes ultra flexible

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FormuleVerte - N°10 - July 2012

Cover photography : D. R.

For home makers become the reference ecological brand for 3 million French people!

The brand is developing its range and is marketing spray cleaners suitable for all situations, here a streak-free ecological spray for glazed surfaces. Formulated from plant based raw materials, the range is scented with mint, rosemary and citrus flowers. All their products are allergen and dye free for enhanced respect of the environment as well as your skin!

© Jardiburo

© DR

■ In a short time, L’Arbre Vert has

Jardiburo, a boost for telecommuters ■ With 56% of the population living in detached houses and that telecommuting is a growing trend, JardiBuro, a young company from Touraine, has devised an innovative product to respond to this societal observation. Without planning

permission, they provide custom garden offices which can be installed on just a few square meters of lawn. The Adonide model was designed with northern pine wood cladding, bringing all the authenticity of natural wood.

Green

showcase Cleaning, decoration and transportation are all processed by biosourced chemistry for our well-being.

A tricycle for grownups

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FormuleVerte - N°10 - July 2012

combines a stainless steel frame with natural wicker. At the end of product life, the natural materials can be composted and the metals recycled. ©D R

■ Antoine Fritsch and Vivien Durisotti have designed this innovative object as their own personal reflection on the subject of non-polluting transport for tomorrow’s world. Designed for short journeys, in a spirit of “soft mobility”, it can carry up to two young children, as well as shopping and equipment. The front platform can be adapted to individual requirements, and electrical assistance is an option. This tricycle is made of laminated bamboo; the front section

© K-Lice © ITW Spraytec

n Finally, an aerosol duster for all computer and office equipment which is 100% green. Marketed under the brand JELT, the Dustergreen is made by the company ITW Spraytec. Biodegradable and 100% natural, this aerosol duster is nonabrasive and leaves no residue. Its global warming potential is close to zero, or 99.5% less compared to a conventional aerosol duster.

© K-Lice

A greener computer cleaner

A greener shopping cart token

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composite material WPC, containing 50% wood fibres in a matrix of polypropylene plastic, is expected to gradually replace the polypropylene used in the manufacture of fans. This biomaterial is derived exclusively from wood from PEFC-certified forests.

Submitted to the most stringent tests by ebmpapst, both in terms of mechanical strength, as well as heat, chemical, microbiological, and weather resistance, this biomaterial used in the manufacture of fans ensures perfect interchangeability and does not affect any of their aeraulic or dimensional characteristics. The 200 diameter low energy ESM fans were the first to benefit.

Miss Sissi goes biodegradable ■ An icon in lighting, the Miss Sissi lamp,

Plant based gravel, it exists and it’s beautiful!

Phyto-Valor, an Ardeche based company, recycles the kernels of peaches and apricots. From fragments of polished shells, they have developed Biogranulats, the first decorative gravel made from a renewable plant resource. And excellent eco-material, Biogranulats can substitute all mineral origin gravel for outdoor spaces for environmentally friendly landscaping. It can also be used as an ecological and long lasting mulch for planted areas.

Information selected by the site www.agrobiobase.com

© Flos

designed by Philippe Starck in 1991 and marketed by Flos, was initially designed in polycarbonate. Now, it come in PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates) bio-plastic, thanks to a through a partnership with the Italian company Bio-on. It is a change of material which required five years of research.

Using residues of beet and cane sugar, the lamp is completely biodegradable in soil and water. Left in the garden or in a wet basement, it can easily make itself scarce.

Z O O M

© DR

■ Marketed by the German company ebm-papst, the

■ A greener shopping cart token bearing your company logo; this is what the Savoyard plastics company K-Lice is offering. They specialise in designing and making practical and original publicity objects which are more environmentally friendly. This is why the company chose plant based plastic. With off the shelf or custom made objects, K-Lice reveal all their expertise on their website. www.k-lice.com

© Phyto-Valor

Bio-material fans

FormuleVerte - N°10 - July 2012

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In light [CONFERENCE] BIO-BASED CHEMISTRY

The first intermediates enter the industrial phase In Orlando, one thousand international specialists in bio-based chemistry met in late April as part of the BIO 2012 congress to discuss advances in the industry; in particular the efficiency of processes and production costs, which are critical issues as industrialisation approaches.

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Den Tweel, CEO of Reverdia. The company is known for having developed a highly competitive process, producing fewer impurities than its competitors, and whose piloting was performed in Roquette at Lestrem.

Then at Lake Providence in Mississippi, the American company Myriant will start up its 14,000 t/year unit. It has already announced an extension in 2014 and projects in Southeast Asia through its partnership with the Thai company PTT. At Lake Providence, where the raw material which provides the sugar is corn, but the group has began laboratory tests for using lignocellulose from sorghum. The third major player in succinic acid is Bioamber. After building a demons-

Š BIO 2012

he year 2012 will be decisive for the new plant-based chemical industry. No fewer than three succinic acid production units will finally start production on an industrial scale, delivering the first answers to frequently asked questions: the capacity to source raw materials, the stability of product grades, the real costs of production, and the appetite of the market for these new intermediaries. Reverdia, a joint venture between DSM and Roquette, will be the first in the third quarter at Casano Spinola in Italy, one of Roquette’s production sites, a 10,000 t/year unit supplied by sugar derived from starch, according to Will Van

From April 29th to May 2nd in Orlando, BIO 2012 brought together over 1000 participants.

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FormuleVerte - N°10 - July 2012

tration unit at the site of the French company ARD in Pomacle-Bazancourt, Babette Pettersen, director of marketing and sales, says her group chose to set up in Canada on an industrial site at Sarnia, in Ontario. The unit will start up with a capacity of 17,000 t/year, before moving to 35,000 t/year. At Sarnia, the new enzyme CB1 will be introduced into the process, which is provided by their partner Cargill. It is designed to reduce production of unwanted salts and improve yields. If the presence in France of Bioamber remains uncertain, the demonstration plant is still there and will be used for other pilot projects.

Meeting in Orlando, from April 29th to May 2nd for the ninth edition of the BIO conference, the major players in plant-based chemistry were optimistic about their chances of success and looking beyond succinic acid. A second major intermediate which is also in the process of approaching the commercial stage is butanediol (BDO). At the same time as their succinic acid unit, Bioamber will start up a 25,000 t/year BDO unit at Sarnia, via a DuPont conversion process of succinic acid into BDO. In 2013, the Italian company Novamont will start commercial BDO production (18 000 t/year), at its site in Adria in Italy, using American technology from Genomatica.

Then it is the turn of adipic acid, an intermediate of nylon 6.6, but also precursor for polyester polyols for the production of polyurethanes. However, the demonstration stage has not yet been reached. DSM thinks this will be achieved by 2014 or 2015, while the first commercial unit could start up in 2017. The Dutch giant, which has largely followed the model adopted by Roquette for succinic acid should soon announce the name of a new choice. Bioamber has not detailed its ambitions in adipic acid, but it is in progress. And among these specialists in fermentation, the Californian company Rennovia (formerly Symyx) has extolled the advantages of chemical catalysis, propo-

© BIO 2012

[CONFERENCE] In light

From left to right: Jean-Marie Chauvet (ARD), Brent Erickson (BIO), Yvon Le Hénaff (ARD) and Anthony Brésin (ARD).

sing a conversion of glucose to adipic acid via glucaric acid. Its process should also reach the demonstration stage. In order to achieve this, Rennovia which had previously gone it alone, is now looking for partners.

Olefins on the second range Besides these large oxygen intermediates, light olefins such as butene, propylene, butadiene, isobutene, and isoprene are also in the spotlight. They are becoming ever more scarce due to the increasing tendency to crack ethane instead of naphtha in steam crackers, even though these molecules are subject to very high demand (ETBE, tyres, adhesives etc.). Although microorganisms are not programmed to produce such molecules, synthetic biology

makes this possible by modifying the metabolic pathways in microorganisms. An expert in this field, Global Bioenergies has set their calendar around the development of bio-isobutene. The French company plans for pilot laboratory testing in mid2012, and industrial pilot trials in 20132014, and industrial production of thousands of tonnes of bio-based isobutene from 2017, as detailed by its president Marc Delcourt. For its part, Genomatica has set its sights on butadiene, after becoming interested in BDO. Its process is still at the laboratory stage. It has yet to pass the stages of piloting and demonstration, with a view to industrial production slated for after 2017. As for BDO, Genomatica plans to rely on partners, because its business

model is confined to the provision of technology. For these companies, the challenge is the performance of their technologies and the production cost of their intermediaries. It is an even more difficult challenge as the transformation of a highly oxygenated sugar to an olefin results in yield losses associated with the elimination of oxygen atoms. At the forum, Alan Shaw, a consultant and former CEO of Codexis, stressed the importance of a carbon/oxygen ratio between the sugar that is fermented and the intermediary concerned. “Ethanol production is still acceptable because we are in a ratio of 1 to 2 between oxygen and carbon. However, it does not make sense to produce long carbon chains from sugar,” he added. The American company Amyris, supported by Total, has recently paid the price by being unable to produce biodiesel at competitive prices from sugar cane, and this despite the hundreds of millions of dollars which they sank into R&D. As a result, their share price collapsed and much of their management was dismissed.

Nevertheless, Vincent Schachter, vice president of R&D at Total Gas & Power, says that the stock market setbacks of Amyris do not mean that the technology is not viable.

And rumours are growing of pressure exerted by financial investors on start-ups to select molecules based on their market size. This strategy results brings them into the field of commodities with a view to replacing them with identical bio-based versions (“drop-in” molecules), rather than

>

9

In light [CONFERENCE] >

targeting the specialty market, with more innovative structures, and higher added value. These investors do however have the merit of counterbalancing the lack of commitment by the traditional chemical industry, as Alan Shaw noted.

Besides the performance of enzymes, catalysts and fermentation processes, the cost of sugar, the green gold of tomorrow, seems to be crucial. But to produce this sugar, many combinations are possible including choice of plants and transformation processes. The winning combination is still being sought. For now, interest in lignocellulose biomass remains strong, as long as biorefineries can be developed to exploit the whole plant, notably lignin. The Norwegian company Borregaard which refines from wood explains that it employs a process of producing lignophosphonates, which are easier to utilise than lignosulfonates. For the Canadian François Eudes, from Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, the choice of plant can also facilitate biorefinery. He draws attention to triticale, a plant which is richer in starch than grains and is lower in lignin. Ajay Kshatriya, CEO of Bio Architecture Lab (USA), suggests looking to macroalgae. These crop plants which could be transformed in biorefineries are able to supply sugar without lignin. A pilot plant for producing ethanol from algae

THE FRENCH IN THE SPOTLIGHT

© DR

Sugar, the green gold of the future ?

A large Malaysian delegation came to extol the benefits of oil palms.

will start in the third quarter in Chile. An alternative is oil palms. A large Malaysian delegation also came to the conference to extol the benefits of this plant, because all the conditions are right in oil palm trees.

While essentially the seeds provide oil, the leaves, trunks, husks and nuts are rich in cellulose. The government is currently in the process of developing an entire economy based around this resource, encouraging concept of biorefineries to utilise the whole plant and, beyond oil production, leading to the production of fuels and biomolecules. In order to do this, foreign investments are being encouraged and subsidised. Moreover, this lignocellulosic route is no longer a laboratory curiosity. Two players in biological fractioning, Zeachem and Chemtex, announced that they would be able to

produce the first cellulosic ethanol in industrial quantities at competitive prices by the end of the year, one in Oregon, and the other in Italy. Since last year in France, the pilot phase for the production of secondgeneration ethanol has been underway, as part of the Futurol project. The demonstration phase is planned for 2015 and the first industrial unit for 2016.

Parallel to biological fractioning, gasification also still remains in the race. The method consists of breaking down molecules of any kind at high temperatures, but this time it does not produce sugar but rather synthesis gas (CO + H2). Among the players, Ineos Bioprocess plans to start up a unit in the third quarter of this year for ethanol produced via CO production, coupled with a fermentation step. Its method has the advantage of being “feedstock agnostic.”

In addition to sawdust or plant waste, it can also handle municipal waste and coal.

Lanzatech, an American company has made a specialty of feeding its organisms with CO instead of sugar in order to produce fuel or chemicals. Interested in this technology, Global Bioenergies partnered with Lanzatech last November.

In the end, the three days of debate in Orlando allowed for an overview of this emerging industry, which is engaged in a mad rush and which is already globalised.

At the finish line there will inevitably be winners and losers. Let’s hope that the French players can find their place in the right team ■ SYLVIE LATIEULE, REPORTING FROM ORLANDO

10 FormuleVerte - N°10 - July 2012

[REPORT] In light BIOTECHNOLOGY

Enzymes, the issues of industrial biocatalysis On April 25th, the IAR cluster organised a debate on the theme of enzymology, as a side event at the Sinal expo. The event brought together research stakeholders and industry to discuss potential applications of enzymes in the development of agricultural resources.

“

In green chemistry, enzymes are an essential part of biorefineries for the degradation of cellulose and hemicellulose. However, the cocktail of cellulases and hemicellulases used still face performance limitations.

This is primarily due to the very architecture of the agricultural resources being utilised, explains Nicolas Lopes Ferreira, head of R&D projects at the French Institute of Petroleum and New Energies (Ifpen): “There remains an accessibility issue of crystal cellulose. Indeed, it is necessary to deconstruct the material, current techniques for pre-treatment are effective but can also degrade the sugars of interest. There is an

© Procethol 2G/ M. Jolyot

White Biotechnology is a tool for green chemistry, but is not restricted to the production of biodiesel,” says Denis Wahler, R&D manager at the company Proteus, specialised in the engineering and production of enzyme proteins with industrial interest.

Aiming to use biological processes on an industrial scale, white biotechnologies will be key to the exploitation of agricultural resources for the development of an industrial bioeconomy. Among these technologies is enzymology, which was the subject of a full debate of the IAR cluster on April 25th, organised on the sidelines of the Sinal expo in Chalons-en-Champagne (Marne). Known for their food sector uses (brewery, bakery, etc.), enzymes can also be used for other purposes, notably in green chemistry, as emphasised by Jacky Vandeputte, head of R&D projects and biomolecules at the IAR cluster “It is possible to use the enzymatic route as a means for deconstruction of biomass, and also as a route for the synthesis of biomolecules.” Coming from various sources (fungi, bacteria, etc.), enzymes offer great diversity and multiple opportunities in the natural state. Indeed, a single microorganism contains thousands, and this variety has been accentuated by scientific advances in recent years, as evidenced by Denis Wahler: “With advances in molecular biology techniques, we now have access to an ever increasing number of enzymes that catalyse a wide variety of reactions with great efficiency, which reduces production costs and development time of new varieties.”

The project Futurol employs enzymes to hydrolyse cellulose into fermentable sugars.

alternate method with the use of ionic liquids, but they are still too expensive currently.” In addition, research must be carried out in order to develop more efficient enzyme cocktails, and to optimise the action of enzymes (for example via formulations).

Another route for development comes from the nature of enzymes themselves which are tailored for specific reactions. “It is necessary to broaden the applications of enzymes, and this requires the formulation and production of new bioproducts,” says Caroline Rémond, professor at the Joint Research Fractionation Unit for Agroresources and the Environment (FARE) at from the University of Reims.

Bioplastics with enzyme origins During this debate, the Engineering Laboratory of Polymers for High Technologies (LIPHT) of the University of Strasbourg (BasRhin) raised the possibility of using enzymes to obtain polymers, for example, polyester via lipases. “The advantage of this type of process is that it is of great specificity and biodegradable, and it does not require the protection of reactive groups. In addition, it is a clean process using a mild reaction,” says Vincent Phalip, lecturer at the LIPHT. He added: “However, there are possible limitations of biomass availability. Other disadvantages are the availability and cost of the enzyme, and that the performance of an enzymatic reaction is usually lower than that of chemical transformation.” Enzymatic plastics production seems to be on the increase, as evidenced by the approach of the company Mitsubishi Rayon. Indeed, it has incorporated a bacterial enzyme called nitrile hydratase to produce acrylamide from acrylonitrile in its manufacturing process of polyacrylamide. Let’s hope that the approach of the Japanese company will be followed by other initiatives in the same direction. ■ DINHILL ON, CHÂLONS-EN-CHAMPAGNE FormuleVerte - N°10 - July 2012

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In light [SYMPOSIUM] BIOREFINERIES

Nothing is lost, everything is transformed The committee for the utilisation of biotechnologies, Adebiotech, organised a symposium on the biorefinery of by-products of industry and environment. It was an opportunity for research stakeholders and industry players to share their experiences.

D

© Grand Lyon/Blandine Lubineau

iscussing the biorefinery necessary to distinguish between co-products and by-products or waste from an industrial concept as a way of recycling process.” Indeed, co-products have a high industrial by-products and the environment; this was potential for agricultural recycling (land the aim of the symposium of the commitapplication, composting), energy (combustee the utilisation of biotechnology, Adebiotion, biogas, biofuels) or materials (extractech, held in March at Romainville, near tion, fermentation, thermochemical Paris. “Biorefinery has a strategic impact as decomposition). “In most cases they are it allows the use of co-products, by-products made intentionally to be marketed or stored and/or waste from industry as a source of raw for future use. As by-products, these are material or energy, as part of a circular economy,” says Daniel Thomas, vice president of Industrie AgriResources (IAR). Currently, manufacturers are looking at the possibility of substituting petrobased molecules and biorefinery and biomass appears to be a credible alternative. “Molecules from oil have a higher energy level than those from biomass, but they are more easily activated for chemical reactions and offer the possibility of using biocatalysis. Essentially, petrobased molecules are adapted to explode, while biosourced ones are suitable for the development of value-added molecules for fine chemistry and pharmaceuticals,” says Daniel Thomas. He stresses: “Every by-product or waste material should be designed to be the raw material for another process.” But as Léonard Boniface, a project manager at the directorate of Investments for the Future at ADEME, in charge of the topic of the exploita- Sewage treatment plants could function in a similar way to tion of bioresources says: “It is biorefineries.

12 FormuleVerte - N°10 - July 2012

products with low utilisation potential which are generated unintentionally which have to be disposed of,” says Leonard Boniface (ADEME). As a consequence of the variety of products entering or being prepared in a biorefinery, the concept has to be scalable, as emphasised by the project manager of the ADEME: “Biorefineries must be flexible, particularly in terms of resources, pre-treatment, collection, and conversion processes.”

An industrial ecology to be developed The utilisation of co- and by-products is at the heart of the concept of “industrial ecology”, which looks at the entire industrial system in the long term.

In this context, any human activity, even the most basic, is considered an industrial activity: consumer spending, tourism, finance, health services, etc. “Industrial ecology aims at the optimal use of resources and waste, not only at the conceptual framework of scientific ecology.

It is therefore necessary to devise effective industrial biocenosis systems where complimentary systems utilise the by-products of one another,” says Suren Erkman, director of the Institute of Land Use Policies and Human Environment, at the University of Lausanne (Switzerland). In order to achieve this, several actions are possible which are grouped under four words: loop, seal, dematerialise, and balance. The term “loop” means that the flow of resources should be quasi-cyclic, while “seal” means that we must minimise losses during the dispersive life cycle of products or services. “In the latter area, green chemistry and biotechnologies have a key role to play,” says Suren Erkman.

The word “dematerialise” means

[SYMPOSIUM] In light

© M. Jolyot/Procethol 2G

MOVING FROM WWTP TO WASTE BIOREFINERIES

Co-products or by-products from agricultural raw materials are recoverable through biorefineries.

that it is better to decouple economic activities from resource consumption. “One basic way to implement it would be to sell a function rather than a product, like chemical leasing,” says Suren Erkman.

Finally, the term “balance” describes the need to reduce energy consumption, and de-carbonise the industrial system notably by working on the impact and our depen-

dence on fossil fuels. “For industrial ecology to be effective, it’s necessary to establish an “industrial allostery”, that is to say a system of regulation. And that calls for the implementation of these strategies in developing countries like India and China in order to have significant effects,” says Suren Erkman. ■ DINHILL ON

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In light [CONFERENCE] SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY

The Aquitaine region mobilises On March 22nd in Bordeaux, Aquitaine Chimie Durable (Aquitaine Sustainable Chemistry) organised a day of discussions on the theme: “alternative solutions, products and processes for a sustainable industry.” It was an opportunity for Aquitaine stakeholders in the sector to network.

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© Toyal

quitaine is a region of France which has experienced one of the largest deteriorations in terms of employment. However, the region has demonstrated strong commitment. It is, alongside Rhône-Alpes and Ile de France, one of the top three beneficiaries of Investments for the Future. For its part, the chemical sector was enhanced in 2010 by the creation of Aquitaine Chimie Durable (Aquitaine Sustainable Chemistry: The Toyal Europe site in Accous in the Pyrenees-Atlantiques.

ACD), a program which aims to structure and promote the sector, and on were Arkema (and its former owners Elf its initiative on March 22nd in Bordeaux, and Total) and the CNRS. They are followed by a myriad of innovators of all sizes. the second day of Sustainable Chemistry The guest, Jean Pelin, director general of UIC, was held. gave an overview of the chemistry sector in While Aquitaine is not the most important France and said that it was ahead in the field French region in terms of chemicals, Pascal of plant based chemistry. “Today 10 to 12 % Lefèvre, the president of the ACD and the UIC of the chemical sector in France uses bioAquitaine, recalled that it counts 140 estabased products. In 2025, we expect 16 % of bioblishments, employing some 10,000 people. based products, including 20 % for in polymers, It has two main clusters, Lacq and Bordeaux, 5-6 % for intermediates and 20 % for organic with Lacq having seen one of the largest chemicals” he says. investments in recent years (150 million To reflect the diversity and vitality of sustaieuros for the Lacq Chemicals Cluster 2030). nable chemistry in Aquitaine, a round table The region also holds its own in the field of brought together seven local industrialists. green chemistry and the utilisation of François Lavaud, technical manager for Toyal biomass. Vanessa Oltra and Maïder Saint Europe, explained that his company, which Jean, economists, presented the results of produces alumina powders for metallic their study on patents in Aquitaine for Green paints, began working on the substitution of Chemistry. Over the 1990-2009 period, of white spirit plant based solvents as early as the 3,106 French patents analysed, 144 were 2000. In a first step, the best selected methyl registered from Aquitaine. They were primaturned out to be toxic in the context of its rily for alternative bio-based solvents and registration under the REACH system. The alternative processes. The main depositors

14 FormuleVerte - N°10 - July 2012

company had to switch to isopropyl. Pascal Clair, CEO of Greiner Packaging, explained that as a user of chemicals, she started looking for new materials which are bisphenol A free in anticipation of a future ban.

Notox is a start-up specialising in the manufacture of surfboards. Its boss, Pierre Pomiers explained that in addition an investment in a factory with controlled environment, its environmental philosophy led him to design the GreenOne surfboard. Its manufacturing uses recycled PS, linen fabric and linseed oil. Another speaker, Alain Chemin, president of the phytosanitary distribution company Vitivista, said he anticipated by several years the abandoning of certain substances by developing plant-based formulations. For its part, the company Berkem, specialising in plant extraction, has always been closely involved in green chemistry. Olivier Fahy, its director, considers himself a chemist who has always used responsible and sustainable chemistry. He warns against the current enthusiasm for plant based and sustainable chemistry which tend to present these concepts as a novelty. And in a company such as Arkema, the entire innovation of the group is oriented towards sustainable development, according to Heike Faulhammer, director of the research group Lacq.

Arkema boosts innovation For example when Arkema develops innovative materials, they are destined for renewable energy, water purification, and lighter vehicles. Finally we heard from Eric Moussu, the sales and marketing manager for DRT, the biggest player in Aquitaine in plant based chemistry, a specialist in pine derivatives. He spoke about life cycle analysis and indicators of biobased carbon content. “Plant based chemistry has to prove its sustainability,” he reminded the audience; it is a prerequisite to dethroning fossil based solutions which are firmly in place. ■ SYLVIE LATIEULE, BORDEAUX

Advertorial After recovering carbohydrates (the B.R.I. project) then lipids (the P.I.V.E.R.T. project), the IAR cluster is now giving its name to the IMPROVE project aimed at recovering plant proteins. IMPROVE will thus complement the French R&D programmes specialised in plant refining.

The IAR Cluster - Industries & Agro-Ressources At the heart of biorefinery

T

he IAR cluster draws on the model of regional biorefining where agriculture and industry are closely connected. Its purpose is recover plant components in an optimal way to offer a wide range of bio-based products as a substitute for non-renewable fossil materials or to provide new functionalities which could feed into many markets (food and nonfood). Since 2005, the IAR cluster has begun to recover plant products through the concept of biorefinery.

The following have been created: ● The B.R.I. Platform. (Bioraffining Research and Innovation), run by Siclaé and recovering carbohydrates; ● The P.I.V.E.R.T. Platform (Picardie Plant Innovation: Education, Research and Technology), run by Sofiprotéol and aimed at recovering lipids.

To add to these French research programmes that are essential for the development of biorefining and the bioeconomy, the IAR cluster has been able to bring together these players to recover their plant components such as proteins.

The Protein Market Plant-based proteins account for 44% of the global concentrated protein market, which is today estimated at around 20 million tonnes. World consumption of concentrated proteins is increasing rapidly and should double in the next ten years. Plantbased proteins derived from French and European agriculture represent a source of 28 million tonnes, to-date largely underdeveloped, and are emerging as a good alternative to animal proteins and soya.

IMPROVE, for the improved recovery of plant protein Started by the group Tereos Syral, the purpose of the IMPROVE project, which was selected as part of Investissements

Plant proteins recovering is the heart of t he Improve project.

d’Avenir, is to develop applications for proteins from French crops. It will become a joint and open innovation platform specialised in the extraction, functionalization and recovering plant protein. It will allow industrial partners from the platform to develop their presence on their traditional markets such as human and animal food and/or to position themselves on new target markets with high potential for development such as agro-materials or cosmetics. The project is currently in the planning phase, a phase on which the final approval of the project depends and after which the owners will carry out additional work on the technical, legal, economic and financial aspects. The project is part of the ‘Joint Innovation Platform’ strand of the ‘Boosting Competition Clusters’ framework managed by the Caisse des Dépôts public bank.

The platform will open in Dury in Picardie in 2013. It will contribute to the economic dynamism of the region with the creation of twenty jobs and the possible emergence of spinoffs from the R&D programmes. ■

IIMPROVE will help us relaunch the innovation cycle for plant proteins produced in Europe Anne Wagner, Innovation Vice President at Tereos Syral

PROJECT PARTNERS

15

In light [MEETING]

m

u .hu/ir

© sxc

FURNITURE

Furniture professionals looking for new plant based furniture solutions French furniture manufacturers are looking to innovate, particularly through the use of new products and materials. Plant based alternatives are particularly attracting their attention.

“

16 FormuleVerte - N°10 - July 2012

this application and which have proven their effectiveness are low cost.

In terms of the materials used in furniture, while wood still occupies a significant position, furniture makers are eager to innovate. To assist them in this process, they benefit from their technological institute, the FCBA, with a workforce of 350. In Paris, Jean-Marc Barbier directs an innovation unit on furnishing materials. Its objective is to acquaint manufacturers and designers with new materials and technologies. For example in bedding, he notes a big return of plant and animal fibres, even if polyurethane foam continues to dominate, especially in mattresses. “Foams with a strong plant or recycled component are of interest to us. But for now we feel that there is no answer in terms of materials” he says.

However, for replacing wood, the use of wood-polymer composites is making progress. And Jean-Marc Barber cites the arrival on the market of 100 % bio-based wood- biopolymer composites. “With rising © Ô Nature

Made in France” furniture is hanging in there. After undergoing difficult times, the profession has now stabilised, with about 500 companies (excluding artisans) which are federated into a professional union, the UNIFA. With furniture for houses, businesses, communities and urban areas amongst others, the profession offers a wide range of products. But all manufacturers are facing the same challenge, that of competitiveness, innovation and environmental protection. “For over 10 years, one of the strategic pillars of the profession has been to be proactive on the environment,” says Bertrand Demarne, the director of technical development at the UNIFA. “We first addressed the issue at production sites with VOC reduction, waste and noise. Then we looked at the issue of VOCs in products such as varnishes, paints and cleaning products,” he adds. Then REACH arrived, with questions about the quality of indoor air. “We were impacted in terms of wood panels which use ureaformaldehyde adhesives and phenol-formaldehyde and make for a release of formaldehyde,” says Bertrand Demarne.

Certainly, over the years, rates of free formaldehydes have to decline. But in order to reduce them to zero, the only solution would be to remove the formalin in adhesive formulations. “Green chemistry has helped advance the field of paints and varnishes. We are interested in plant based glues to replace the adhesives in particle board,” he adds. It still remains to circumvent the obstacles of performance and price. The urea-formaldehyde adhesives which have been used for many years in

The company Ô Nature is working on developing more environmentally friendly furniture.

commodity prices and expected rarity, furniture manufacturers are beginning to seek alternatives,” he says. The advantage of this type of material is that it can be transformed using plastic making tools, via extrusion and injection moulding, which allows for elements with more complex geometries than solid wood. And in outdoor applications, this polymer has a property valued in timber, being rot-proof.

Photo: The company Ô Nature is working on developing more environmentally friendly furniture.

To produce evidences of sustainability Despite this interest in new plant based solutions in the furniture sector, Jean-Marc Barber emphasises that new products will need to demonstrate their durability. And the FCBA also offers other services for carrying out environmental assessments of furniture which is already on the market or in development; and this, with a view to environmental labelling which will be implemented within the next year for furniture.

“We want companies to prepare in order to have product ranges which are highly rated in terms of environmental performance,” he says. Finally, all these biobased products must prove that they are easy to reprocess at the end of their lifecycles. Since January 1st, furniture industry players were subject to the principle of extended producer responsibility (EPR), as provided for by the Grenelle 2 law.

This regulation requires them to take responsibility for the collection and processing of waste products at the end of lifecycles, either in the form of individual initiative, or by financing eco-approved organisations which take care of their management.

In the end, between the weight of regulation and its concern for competitiveness, the furniture industry seems entirely ready to incorporate new biobased solutions. The FCBA and the UNIFA are playing a key role in supporting them. ■ SYLVIE LATIEULE

[INTERVIEW] In light FOOD PACKAGING

© Danone

The use of biobased materials is one of the means used by the Danone group to reduce its environmental footprint; details from Françoise Poulat, a researcher at the Danone Packaging Research Centre.

FRANÇOISE POULAT

As an expert in packaging materials, you work for the Danone Packaging Research Centre based in Evian. When did the first Danone biobased packaging appear?

Françoise Poulat : The first experiment was in the late 1990’s with the launch of a yoghurt pot made of PLA in Germany. But we did not act on this experience, as the innovation came too soon for consumers. Danone has renewed experimentation in late 2009 in the United States with the 'organic' brand Stonyfield and in Germany on the Activia range. This experiment confirmed that it is a material well suited to the thermoforming process and that it could be deployed in future in other countries for that application.

Have you studied the use of PLA for packaging bottled water?

F. P. : In our Danone Waters division we have the brands Volvic, Evian, Salvetat and Badoit. PET is widely used for water bottles, it’s the ideal material due to its barrier performance, its transparency, its safety and existing recycling systems. In terms of PLA, its permeability to water vapour is over 10 times that of PET, so it is not possible for water bottles to be stored at room temperature over a period of up to two years. Also, PET bottles are largely recycled, and the introduction of PLA into the sector could pollute it.

And yet you offer biosourced solutions for water, according to the plastic bottle for Volvic which is partially plant-based which can be found on shop shelves?

F. P. : PET a resin which is perfectly suited to the manufacture of water bottles and, of course, this material perfectly preserves the quality of natural mineral water. In this area we wish to use the maximum amount of recycled material and help with developments in biosourced materials.

PET is produced from two monomers which are ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid. To date, only ethylene glycol, obtained from bio-based ethanol, is available on the market. Nevertheless, this first step allows us to offer bio-based packaging of up to 31% in weight it is totally produced with pure PET. In the case of the Volvic bottle, this rate is reduced to 20% due to the addition of 35% recycled PET. How can this difficulty finding a biobased version of terephthalic acid be overcome?

F. P. : Research is underway to develop terephthalic acid which is 100% biobased, but it will probably take some years for industrial development. Danone signed an important partnership in March with the Dutch company Avantium. It focuses on the development of 2,5-furanedicarboxylic acid or FDCA, using the Avantium

© Da none

Danone tests the use of biobased materials XYX technology.

This monomer gives access to a new polyester, polyethylene furanoate or PEF which could substitute PET. The industrial launch of this new material is planned for 2015.

Do you use any other biobased materials?

F. P. : We are a user of the bio-based polyethylene form the company Brazilian Braskem. This material is used for packaging of Actimel in a certain number of countries including France.

Do you intend to implement the use of biobased materials more widely?

F. P. : We are interested in biobased materials with a view to replacing fossil based materials with renewable materials and reducing our carbon footprint. But this is not the means by which we can achieve this, as we are also working on reducing materials and recycling. With biobased materials, we are in a process of transition and we have to move step by step. Also, as a food group, we evaluate the potential impact of biobased materials on crops dedicated to food. Along with this, we are focussing closely on so-called second generation technologies which aim to use plant wood waste instead of the noble parts of plants. When these technologies exist and are competitive, it will be a huge boost for the development of biomaterials in food packaging. ■ INTERVIEW BY SYLVIE LATIEULE FormuleVerte - N°10 - July 2012

17

& Research Development

[A YOUNG AND INNOVATIVE COMPANY]

METATHESIS

More efficient catalysts in organic chemistry

T

he industry today is moving increasingly towards technology and processes which are more efficient and environmentally friendly. Chemistry is no exception with a growing interest in recycling, cutting pollution, green chemistry and optimisation of process performance. In this context, the Rennes based start-up Omega Cat System has launched a range of innovative catalysts to optimise certain organic chemical reactions.

It all began in 2006 with work in the laboratory of Chemical Sciences of Rennes (Illeet-Vilaine). At that time, Marc Mauduit, a researcher for the “Organic and Supramolecular Chemistry - Organometallic Catalysis” team at CNRS was working on developing a new family of catalysts based on ruthenium. Continuing his research, Marc Mauduit decided in October 2008 to start a business unit hosted by the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Rennes (ENSCR) to bring technological improvements to his work and stimulate interest from industrialists. The management of this unit was entrusted to Frédéric Caijo, a doctor of chemistry, who had participated in the development of these innovative

18 FormuleVerte - N°10 - July 2011

© Omega Cat System

The start-up Omega Cat System based in Rennes sells catalysts with high reactivity and stability for olefin metathesis. They aim, through innovation, to be more environmentally friendly, with uses in numerous sectors: pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, and cosmetics.

THE TWO FOUNDERS OF OMEGA CAT SYSTEM, MARC MAUDUIT (LEFT) AND FRÉDÉRIC CAIJO (RIGHT).

catalysts in 2007. “It was only a year and a half later, in July 2010, that our start-up Omega Cat System was formally established. Although it is now a private firm, it is still housed at the ENSCR,” says Frédéric Caijo, the current manager of the company.

Catalysing saving the final product The subject of two patents, the innovation of the start-up concerns the catalysis of olefin metathesis. This reaction is used in industrial chemistry for the development of molecules (acids, unsaturated fatty esters, etc.). It is only possible in the presence of a catalyst, usually based on ruthenium. “The problem with current catalysts is that they lack responsiveness and degrade over time, releasing ruthenium into the final product,” says Frédéric Caijo. It is then necessary to purify the product, at the expense of optimal performance, limiting its possible application in industry. And it is on this level that the innovation of Omega Cat

System comes in: indeed, it has succeeded in adding features to the ruthenium complex, developing a catalyst whose activity is higher, thereby limiting the amount used and therefore the cost. In addition, their catalysts have greater stability, favouring recyclability. “Compared to a classic ruthenium-based catalyst, the Omega Cat System catalyst releases 10 to 100 times less ruthenium into the final product in a standard reaction,” says Frédéric Caijo. And if the final product requires an even higher degree of purity, the young company also has a technology for effectively cleaning products contaminated by residues of ruthenium, reaching a level below 10 ppm in accordance with current European standards. “It is even possible to achieve a concentration of ruthenium in the range of 1 ppm,” says Frédéric Caijo. To date, three ranges of catalysts are available from Omega Cat System (Series M7, M8 and Tag) in quantities ranging from grams to kilograms. They come in various media

(solid or liquid) and can be used for continuous flow processes. Omega Cat System innovation is intended primarily for the companies in the sectors of cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals. “Our catalysts can also be used for utilisation of agricultural resources. For example, unsaturated oils and oilseeds can be used for the production of lubricants, polyolefins or polyamides,” says Frédéric Caijo. He adds: “Our products are also relevant in public research, as they for a faster means of organic synthesis.” In addition to selling their catalysts, Omega Cat System has a consulting and service activity, as explained by Frédéric Caijo: “We organise seminars on the subject of olefin metathesis and conduct feasibility studies to assist companies in the use of this technology.”

In terms of outlook, the company is focussing on simplifying its existing ranges, and research into new types of catalysts. To promote its technology, Omega Cat System is about to recruit a new worker, bringing its staff to three. “We want to have a staff of five to six people by the end of 2012,” says Frédéric Caijo. While the company is discreet about its sales, it announced that

&

© Omega Cat System

[A YOUNG AND INNOVATIVE COMPANY]

Research Development

THE COMPANY OMEGA CAT SYSTEM TAKES PLACE IN THE ENSCR PREMISES.

it doubled its sales in 2011, including via the signing of a partnership with Germany’s Umicore, an expert in the utilisation of noble metals, for large-scale production of catalysts. From April, it will participate in CFLOW-OM R&D program, bringing together eight academic and industrial partners and which aims to develop catalysts for olefin metathesis. In addition, the start-

up will benefit from the construction of the centre for chemical engineering at ENSCR, which will help develop and strengthen its influence internationally. It will also soon conduct fund raising which will help it achieve its short term goal: to occupy 10% of the market for catalysts for olefin metathesis in the next three years. ■ DINHILL ON

19

& Research Development

[NEWSFLASH]

A SHARED INNOVATION PLATFORM

into plant proteins.

Thanks to this project a new impetus has been given to research

I

n 2011, Tereos Syral initiated a project to utilise proteins as part of future investments. It has just been named winner of the request for projects for the Shared Innovation Platforms project run by the Caisse des Dépôts et de Consignation (Deposits and Consignments Fund). The project, supported by the IAR cluster and the Picardy region, includes the establishment of a dedicated expertise centre for the extraction, transformation and enhancement of plant proteins.

Guided by a community of interests, this unique model of public-private partnership brings together major French players in agricultural transformation: Tereos Syral, Siclaé, Sofiprotéol, and Soufflet, as well

© DR

The utilisation of plant proteins is at the heart of the Improve project

Peas are legumes that are rich in protein.

as actors from research and transfer for plant utilisation: INRA, Université de Picardie Jules Verne (UPJV), Centre de Valorisation des Glucides et Produits Naturels (Centre for utilisation of carbohydrates and natural products: CVG).

The platform established in Dury (Somme) with the

PUBLIC / PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP

support of the UPJV will permit short research and industrialisation cycles. It will be piloted by industrial players present at the interfaces of the food, chemicals and energy sectors, who have the aim of improving the competitiveness of French agro processing and participation in boosting the national economic infrastructure.

Global consumption of concentrated proteins is growing rapidly and will double in the next decade. Proteins of plant origin which represent only 44 % of the total are an alternative to animal proteins whose production requires on average eight times more fossil energy.

However, in Europe research efforts and industrial innovation has stagnated. Agricultural

crops which represent a source of some 28 million tons of protein are underpriced. To remedy this, a team of 20 skilled workers will be recruited to work on the Improve platform.

The overall budget is 35 million euros and the operational launch is planned for February 2013.

Improve completes the French resources for the indispensable research for development of biorefineries and the bioeconomy, in synergy with B.R.I. platforms (enhancement of carbohydrates carried out by Siclaé), P.I.V.E.R.T. (enhancement of lipids carried out by Sofiprotéol) and Osiris (research on enzyme complexes carried out

by Soufflet). ■ SYLVIE LATIEULE

REGIONAL

The Poitou-Charentes region Soufflet and the INRA are intensifying their collaboration aims to promote research n late February, Jean-Michel Soufflet, CEO of the Soufflet group, and Marion Guillou, CEO of the INRA, signed a partnership agreement to strengthen their collaboration in research, with a view to developing innovative products, mainly from white biotechnologies.

The framework agreement, signed for a period of five years, and valid from January 1st 2012, aims to increase scientific collaboration between the Soufflet Group and its subsidiaries and the INRA, the French

20 FormuleVerte - N°10 - July 2012

T

© Inra

I

Marion Guillou, de l’INRA, et Jean-Michel Soufflet.

public research body for agriculture, food and the environment, notably in three areas: health nutrition, animal feeds and bio-protection of cereal crops. ■ S.L.

he Poitou-Charentes region has just signed a protocol for the promotion of research and innovation with Caisse des Dépôts, France Brevets and the French group Valagro, specialised in biomass conversion.

“This is the first such protocol signed in France”, it says. In this context, a partnership will be established between France Brevets and the Société d’Économie Mixte Locale (SEML) Valagro Carbone Renouvelable Poitou-Charentes. The latter is 71 % owned by the Poitou-

Charentes region, 13 % by Valagro and 2.2 % by the Caisse des Dépôts. It aims to develop alternatives to fossil carbon via renewable carbon. The creation of a steering committee is also scheduled to follow up contracts and the implementation of this collaboration. It will also manage the communication and information campaigns and will work to integrate the solutions proposed by France Brevets in terms of plant protein utilisation in business support initiatives. ■ A.F.

[NEWSFLASH]

Research Development

&

BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIORESOURCES

BFF is chosen by Investment in the Future Biomass for the Future (BFF) will produce plant based plastic, agro-materials and biofuels from improved varieties of non-food plants (miscanthus and sorghum). The winning project for Investment for the Future Program “Biotechnology and Bioresources” is led by JeanPierre Bourgin Institute (INRA) with a budget of 10 million euros. It involves several partners including the company Aelred, labelled as Genopole, which provide the genetic material and pilot tests for the cultivation of miscanthus. Aelred will pilot twelve culture trials with

miscanthus in Lisses (Essonne), in the south at Seine-et-Marne, in the east and west of Paris in communities of Marne-etGondoire and the 2 Rives de Seine and in the Centre region, in order to test the improved genetic material adapted to industrial needs. Aelred will link growers and industry: PSA Peugeot-Citroen for the manufacture of plant based plastic auto parts, and the cement company Calcia for the production of agro-materials endowed with insulating qualities, which are lighter than conventional materials and easier to recycle.

land) and environmental (water catchment areas, and watersheds) which are not in competition with food crop land.

Economically, it is participating in the emergence of a new local green economy and new markets, with the support of three clusters: IAR (Agro-resources), Mov'eo (automobile R&D) and Advancity (urban eco-technologies). ■ SYLVIE LATIEULE

© Aelred

«

Pierre Malvoisin, CEO of Aelred, in a miscanthus field.

Biomass for the Future will add value to marginal land (brownfield industrial land, and quarry

PROJECT STRUCTURING POLE

IEED

S

even new projects were approved in early March during the second wave of the “Institutes of excellence in lowcarbon energy” request for projects, launched within the framework of Investment for the Future. Among them is GreenStars in the Thau basin (Hérault). This is a set of collaborative platforms involving French players in the microalgae utilisation sector. It primary objective is to develop, by 2020, compounds of interest notably including efficient biofuels and molecules with high added value thanks to micro-algae using CO2 emissions and substances derived from waste from human activities. Supported by the INRA and involving 45 partners (public research organisations, businesses, local authorities, and clusters), GreenStars also aims to position itself

among the global centres of excellence in the field of microalgae bio-refinery within five to ten years. A budget of 160 million euros over 10 years was initially planned, including almost 20 % of public assistance (34.3 million euros).

Also of note is the consecration of the French Institute of Agrosourced Materials (IFMAS) dedicated to plant chemistry.

Based in Villeneuve d'Ascq (Nord), it will address the use of biomass, including starch macromolecules, biosourced materials (plant based plastics and paints) in order to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

It will have a budget of 30.8 million euros.

This decision follows the selection in June 2011 of the first two institutes of excellence in low-carbon energy : Indeed S.L. and Pivert. ■

T

he Sinfoni projects was selected within the framework of Structural Projects for Competitiveness Clusters for future investment projects.

While plant fibres have remarkable properties (reinforcement, thermal, and acoustic) and more and more examples have been put on the market (automotive, construction and others) it is clear that their use is still marginal, with a market share estimated at 0.5 %. The Sinfoni project aims to create the right conditions for the large scale use of these materials, as well as the establishment of a “plant-based technical fibres for materials" sector by bringing together industrial and academic players with a strong know- how in this area which are complementary over the entire value chain. This project, promoted by the company

© DR

Two winners for the second Sinfoni promotes plant fibres request for projects

Combed flax is seeking technical applications.

Fibres Recherche Développement, the Ecole des Mines de Douai and the ENSAIT has a budget of 14.5 million euros over five years. It is supported by the competitiveness clusters “Industries et AgroRessources”, Fibres Techtera, Up-Tex, Alsace Energivie, Véhicule du Futur, I-Trans and Plastipolis. ■ S.L. FormuleVerte - N°10 - July 2012

21

Special report Despite their undeniable ecological benefits, biolubricants are still struggling to get established compared to synthetic lubricants. But the rise of green chemistry, the regulatory environment and advances in R&D should lead these types of lubricants to develop in the longer term.

The sector gradually organises itself

W

hile they were long used as lubricating materials, plant based oils have gradually been overshadowed in the 20th century with the advent of mineral oils derived from oil, which are much cheaper. But with the current rise of plant based chemistry and soaring oil prices, biolubricants are coming back to the fore, notably due to their biodegradability properties and their lower toxic impact. According to research firm Omni Tech International in 2008, the global lubricants market is estimated at 41.8 million tonnes of which Western Europe

counts for 12.5% (see graph). “European production of lubricants is approximately 4.5 million tonnes per year and it is estimated that biolubricants represent about 3% of this production,” says Julie Roïz, head of renewable raw materials projects at ValBiom in Belgium, based on a study by the European Association of renewable materials and resources (ERRMA). She adds: “If you look at the companies currently holding EU eco-labels for lubricants, the leading countries are Germany, France and the Netherlands.”

The biolubricants on the market today come from oilseeds and come

22 FormuleVerte - N°10 - July 2012

© Novance

© Molydal

© Condat

PLANT BASED OILS HAVE LONG BEEN KNOWN FOR THEIR LUBRICATING PROPERTIES.

© Condat

BIOLUBRICANTS

in several categories as detailed by Julie Roïz: “The majority of bio-lubricants are based on esters. First, there are natural esters which are triglycerides of vegetable oils. Then we have oleochemical esters of fatty acids such as diesters, polyol esters and complex esters.” These lubricating materials are manufactured from various cultures, usually sunflower or rapeseed, but can also be derived from more exotic oils, as Mathieu Chatillon, head of R&D at Novance explains: “Fatty acids can also come from oil palm and coconut, depending on usage. These oils have different properties compared to those commonly used, especially in terms of oxidation stability, or usage properties when cold.”

Finally, we are seeing the development of new synthetic bases, which were traditionally derived from petrochemicals, but which can now be obtained from non-oil renewable resources “as for example Biofene, by the company Amyris which is obtained from sugar cane” says Julie Roïz (ValBiom).

Biolubricants are used primarily in niche sectors, in applications where recovery is almost impossible or where they likely to be discharged into the environment. Firstly, biolubricants are used in the lubrication of chain saws. During the use of the

[BIOLUBRICANTS] Special <akljaZmlagf g^ l`] dmZja[Yflk eYjc]l <akljaZmlagf g^ l`] dmZja[Yflk eYjc]l aaf *((/ f *((/ O gjd\ Ogjd\ J ]kl J]kl ***$0 *$0

O ]kl]jf O]kl]jf = =mjgh] mjgh] ))*$- *$-

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Source : Omni Tech International

tool, oil is subjected to centrifugal force and spread over the forest floor.

Plant based lubricants are also used as hydraulic fluids, to optimise the operation of equipment such as harvesters, cranes, tractors or load carriers in forests. Biolubricants are also used in greases, particularly for lubricating large sized parts which cannot be continuously covered with oil. This is notably the case for chains used at dams and canal facilities (lock gates). Engine lubrication is also an area where biolubricants may be of interest. Indeed, motor oils using plant based oils have been developed to better deal with high thermal

stresses. The construction sector also remains an important application for plant based lubricants, especially for concrete moulding. Finally, they can be used in the field of machining and metal working (cutting oils, cooling parts, corrosion protection, etc.).

And other applications can be considered according to Julie Roïz (ValBiom): “Applications in electrical transformers are an application which might develop.”

Constraints still to be overcome However, in order to have a chance of competing with petrochemical

report

lubricants, biolubricants must above all become closer in terms of technical performance. “Green chemistry does not necessarily reproduce the advantages brought by petrochemicals,” explains Jean-Louis Pauphillat, president of Molydal, a company specialising in the design, manufacture and packaging of lubricants. He adds: “There are obstacles still to be overcome in terms of the loads and speeds of biolubricants.” Equivalence in terms of technical performance is an essential element, as explained by Mathieu Chatillon (Novance): “Performance is favoured by industry, rather than the sustainable aspect.

Environmental impact is significant now, but manufacturers do not want to concede on technical criteria. Lubrication via plant based greases can be better but generally they have less favourable properties when cold.” This type of lubricant also ages less well, according to Cécile Dano, technical development manager at MotulTech specialised in metalworking and industrial lubricants “plant-based lubricants often have a lower oxidation resistance.” However, biolubricants give quite satisfactory performances in certain applications, as explained by Audrey Boutevillain, Ecolabels product manager at the company Condat: “The performances of some biolubricants are already

>

European production of bio-lubricants in 2008 and forecasts for 2020 Production 2008 Industrial applications

Hydraulic fluids Lubricants for chainsaws Mould release oils Other uses*

Total

Production forecasts for 2020 (t)

Total production

Production of

with moderate

with strong

of lubricants (t)

biolubricants (t)

incentive policy

incentive polic

650 000

68 000

155 000

230 000

50 000

29 000

37 000

40 000

100 000

9 000

15 000

30 000

3 600 000

31 000

70 000

120 000

4 400 000

137 000

277 000

420 000

* lubricants for metal working, lubrication of gears, greases, motor oils, transformer oils Source : European Renewable Resources and Materials Association, EU-Public/Private Innovation Partnership «Building the Bio-Economy by 2020» as part of «Innovation Union – A flagship initiative within the Europe 2020 strategy.

FormuleVerte - N°10 - July 2012

23

>

there. For some applications, such as hydraulics, they offer even better performance compared to petrochemical-based lubricants.”

Another remaining major obstacle is the cost of these bio-lubricants. “A biolubricant costs somewhere between 30-40 % more compared to a conventional lubricant,” says Jean-Louis Pauphillat (Molydal). But this extra cost is mitigated according to Mathieu Chatillon: “Yes, there is still a slight premium on the price, but we must consider the use of bio-lubricants. They include the ability to reduce energy consumption and engine wear, and therefore costs.”

It is an opinion shared by Jacky Vandeputte, project manager at IAR: “To assess the economic benefits of using bio-lubricants, it is important to look at the whole system, by performing a machine cost analysis.” Furthermore, the question of the availability of cultures comes up, if interest in biolubricants increases. “The difficulty is not merely technical, we also need a way of ensuring the availability of raw materials, and creating a reliable supply chain, which is not easy,” says Cécile Dano (MotulTech), adding: “The problem of the availability of agricultural land should also be considered.” In terms of this issue, Julie Roïz (Valbiom) notes that the use of new resources could be considered: “There is the production of base oils from algae (Solazyme) or cel-

© sxc.hu

Special report [BIOLUBRICANTS]

lulosic biomass via a Biomass to Liquid process. But research is still needed in order to develop these technologies and demonstrate their effectiveness.”

To try to overcome the first technological barriers inherent to biolubricants, the European Ibiolab project was launched in 2006 to develop and commercialise innovative and environmentally friendly lubricants and to strengthen the competitiveness of SMEs. “This program bringing together 12 SMEs, as well as 4 associations and 6 research centres,

THE VOSOLUB PROJECT AIMS TO DEVELOP BIOLUBRICANTS MADE FROM SUNFLOWER SOURCED OLEIC FATTY ACIDS.

ENVIRONMENTAL LABELS FOR BIOLUBRICANTS Different types of markings

percentage of renewable base

exist to attest to the environ-

oils, biodegradability and non-

mental benefits of lubricants.

toxicity to the environment.

From 1977, Germany has put

Valid for four years, it concerns

into place its Blauer Angel,

lost-use lubricants, such as

which guarantees to the

hydraulic fluids, greases, chain-

consumer the biodegradability

saw oils, two-stroke engine oils

and non-toxicity of chainsaw

as well as transmission oils,

oils, mould releasers and hydraulic fluids. In

sternpost oils and oils for cables. Along with

2005, the European Commission extended its

these labels, a European project on the display

European Ecolabel which guarantees consu-

of the environmental lifecycle analysis of bio-

mers that products meet the environmental

based products (including lubricants) is cur-

requirements for lubricants. It requires a high

rently being validated.

24 FormuleVerte - N°10 - July 2012

was completed in 2009 and aided in the commercialisation of 10 eco-labelled biolubricants,” says Carine Alfos, director of innovation at Iterg, the coordinator of the projects. The French institute which is an expert in fatty bodies also participated in the Stanlub project in 2005, which was designed to develop bio-lubricants and green solvents for coatings based on stand oils derived from castor, linseed and tung oils. Currently, Iterg is coordinating the European project Vosolub Eco Innovation, which brings together three companies (RS Clare, Brugarolas, and Motul), technical centres (BfB Oil Research and Techniker), a cooperative (Arterris), an oil producer (Provence oils) and two associations (Valbiom, and Ueil). This program seeks to develop new formulations for bio-lubricants made from sunflowers. “Vosolub is studying the possibilities of direct use of an oil that is rich in oleic fatty acids as a technical solution for lubrication in various applications and processes. By not needing to transform the extracted oils, it reduces the costs associated with this step,” says Carine Alfos. “The Vosolub project uses a particular selection of sunflower oils so that they are rich in oleic acid, making for a non-competi-

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Publi-info

Biolubricants and Hydr Hydraulic aulic Oils: Solutions b by y No Novance vance and Oleon Lubricants developed by Oleon and Novance combine technical and environmental performance.

‘T ‘Technical echnical performance performance is the number one asset asset o off our rrenewable enewable lubrican lubricants’ ts’ Dirk Mertens, Business ness Managerr,, Lubricants, Oleon ‘Products marketed by Oleon are made from renewable sources, but what customers praise most about our products is their high technical performance. For instance, the additives we produce for engine oils, reduce friction and contribute to reducing engine energy consumption, offering a reliable solution for car manufacturers committed to reducing car emissions.

For other types of products such as hydraulic oils, metal working fluids, concrete demoulding oils, 2-stroke engine base oils, essential qualities include biodegradability and environmental safety, in addition to reliability and performance. As this type of lubricant can sometimes be lost during use and end up in the environment, environmental concerns is what draws customers to choose our products.’

‘Promoting inno ‘Promoting innovation vation thr through ough rrenewable enewable molecule knowledge kno wledge tr transfer ansfer tto o cus customer tomer R&D teams’ Matthieu Chatillon, R&D Manager ffor or lubricants, materials, oil field, agrro-chemicals, Novance

The additives of the Radialube range marketed

by Oleon are components of motor oils and fuels. By reducing friction, they reduce the consumption of the engine.

‘Novance and Oleon are experts in renewable fatty acids from vegetable oil and animal fat sources. Thanks to our comprehensive expertise on fatty acids and their sources, the chemical function of molecules, and the chemical industrial process operation, we are in a position to develop solutions that meet the specific requirements of our customers. Our innovative lubrication solutions are already used in a wide range of industrial sectors such as 4-stroke engine, hydraulic engine, metalworking, agri-food industry, textile industry, construction, etc... We are answering to market requirements and the environmental, safety and regulation trends in order to better anticipate customer needs. Innovation is at the heart of the values promoted by the Sofiprotéol group. Innovation is what has made Novance-Oleon become a reference player in the oleochemical industry, and more particularly in the lubricants market.’

Novance and Oleon ar Novance are e subsidiaries o off the So Sofiprotéol fiprotéol gr group oup and ar are e specialized specializ ed in in renewable renewable chemistry chemistry As two two major players players among the leading European European companies companies in this sect sector or o off activity activity,, these tw two o ccompanies ompanies develop develop and market market over over 500,000 tons tons of of vegetable vegetable oil-based chemical products, products, providing providing solutions which combine combine technological perf performance, ormance, sa safetyfetyo of-use f-use and and eco-friendly eco-friendly standards standards for for industrial indus industrial applications applications and end cconsumers. onsumers.

No Novance vance and Oleon o offer ffer a wide range range of of renewable renewable products products which can be used as alternatives alternatives to to conventional conventional petroleum-based petroleum-based products: products: ffood ood ingr ingredients, solvents, edients, solv ents, emulsifiers, plasticisers, plas plasticisers, resins, resins, lubricants, lubricants, surfactants, surfactants, chemical chemical intermediates… intermediates…

www.novance www .novance .c .com om www.oleon.com www .oleon.com www.sofiproteol.com www .sofiproteol.com

© Stihl

© Molydal

Special report [BIOLUBRICANTS]

DAM CHAINS ARE ONE OF THE POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS FOR BIOLUBRICANTS

>

tive approach to food crops,” adds Cécile Dano (MotulTech). At Molydal, R&D projects, under the umbrella of the IAR, are currently underway for the development of biolubricants for dam chains, and applications of in metal forming (swaging, cladding).

A favourable regulatory environment Biolubricants will benefit from the growing interest in environmental issues, but also from the context of current regulations. “Regulation could be an important advantage for biolubricants,” says Mathieu Chatillon (Novance).

26 FormuleVerte - N°10 - Juillet 2012

Since January 1st, the Farming Bill (section 44, Act 2006-11 of the 5th of January 2006) prohibits the use of fossil based lubricants which can easily be substituted with biodegradable products or meet the criteria for the European Ecolabel (see inset) in natural areas classed as “sensitive”. “For now, this regulation does not yet have an implementing decree,” says Virginie Turc, technical director for automotive products at Fuchs France, specialised in the design, manufacture and marketing of lubricants, adding: “Confusion about the term biolubricant is possible,

© Ariane Boixière-Asseray

because it can mean that a product may contain at least a large proportion of renewable resources as recommended by the eco-label, or that a lubricant may be petrochemical (from synthetic esters) which is biodegradable.” In addition to the Farming Bill, the general tax on polluting activities as of January 2008 applies to lubricants which are lost: oils for two stroke engines, greases for open systems, mould release oils, and chainsaw oils. Only products which meet the conditions of the European eco-label are exempt from this tax. Finally, the REACH regulation should encourage the development of plant -based lubricants, which have more favourable toxicological and ecotoxicological profiles.

The current favourable environment towards biolubricants therefore makes industry players rather optimistic about the viability of a perennial sector. If technical performances continue to improve, then there is no doubting the success of plantbased lubricants. “Biolubricants will win out,” says Jean-Louis Pauphillat (Molydal). It will be a success led primarily via niche markets, as suggested by Audrey Boutevillain (Condat): “The rise of bio-lubricants will essentially be in BtoB in sectors such as aeronautics, public works and forestry management.” ■ DINHILL ON

Advertorial The Association Chimie Du Végétal (ACDV) is involved in the debate on the new reform of the Common Agricultural Policy for 2014-2020. Two initial objectives have emerged: making plant-based chemistry more visible and reinforcing all the necessary systems to help farmers maintain or develop their productive resources.

New 2014-2020 CAP, a role for Plant-Based Chemistry CAP

.… initials which are easy to pronounce but which stand for one of the European Union’s oldest policies and undoubtedly its most budgetconsuming. The legislative package proposed by the European Commission on the 12th of October 2011 is imposing: a 500page draft document outlining the basis of European agriculture policies after 2014. For the first time, the CAP is going to be reformed jointly by the two European decision-making bodies, the Parliament and Council. The process is underway. Numerous changes are under discussion and debates are liable to drag on in a difficult budgetary context. Many doubt that the new CAP will actually come into effect on the 1St of January 2014. This is another reason why the ACDV wants to emphasise certain points to be debated both in Brussels and in Paris. Though manufacturers are not directly concerned by a CAP which, for some years now, has been aimed almost exclusively at farmers, industrial players in the sector are affected by the question of supply and in particular

EIPs (see inset). For the ACDV, the 2014-2020 CAP must match up to these European initiatives.

© DR

Optimising greening measures

CAP budget will influence european agriculture’s competitiveness.

by the availability of agricultural and forest resources. This is also an issue which determines the competitiveness of French and European companies.

© D.R

More explicit references to plant-based chemistry

Forest resources could answer the world demand for industrial biomass.

28 FormuleVerte - N°10 - June 2012

“Facilitate the supply and use of renewable energy sources, sub-products, waste, residue and other non-food raw materials for bioeconomy purposes”. Admittedly the term “bioeconomy” appears in the CAP proposal currently being examined, but the ACDV would like to see a more firmly stated acknowledgement of plant-based chemistry, notably with reference to its leverage effect on innovation and rural development. This timid approach does not reflect the interest shown by Europe in plant-based chemistry. Fortunately, this interest is demonstrated by programmes such as Horizons 2020, the LMI and other

The Commission proposes that 30 % of direct aid be conditional on meeting three criteria: diversification of crop rotation (at least three on arable land), maintaining of areas of ecological interest representing at least 7 % of agricultural land (hedges, ponds, strips, buffer zones, groves etc.) and maintaining of permanent pastures. The ACDV sees these proposals as excessive and considers in particular that the obligation to devote 7 % of farms to areas of ecological interest is liable to threaten Europe’s production potential. For representatives of plant-based chemistry, the real issue for the future CAP is to enable European agriculture to “produce more and better”, a requirement which is closely linked to the need to mobilise agricultural, forest and organic resources. “Plant-based chemistry could benefit from a more significant Utilised Agricultural Area, a genuine

KEY FIGURES ● Chemical manufacturers are committed to a target of 15 % use of plant resources as raw materials for chemical industry by 2017. ● France is the leading agricultural country in the EU. ● France is the leading European producer of cereals and oil-seed plants.

countries in order to make common proposals relating to the development of plantbased chemistry.

Targeted tools to strengthen plant-based chemistry © Patrick et Damien de Theux

“We regret that the measures designed to

area of land to demonstrate the potential for transforming non-food crops into biobased products,“ adds Christophe RuppDahlem, President of the ACDV. Europe and in particular France have sufficient agricultural resources to carry out the development of biobased products in harmony with other uses, notably food uses.

Mobilisation of biomass Mobilisation of agricultural and forest resources is a major concern in the face of the increase in world demand for food, industrial or energy biomass. For the ACDV, the 2014-2020 CAP must guarantee that the sector will see the mobilisation of the

Miscanthus is an example of non food crops.

resource it needs to ensure strong growth in Europe and the creation of the associated jobs. The ACDV is currently finalising a study which will be presented to the French ministers concerned, and where, for example, provisions in favour of production and supply of raw materials to chemical biomass conversion units are being examined. This review is bound to attract the interest of other European countries confronted with the same issues, such as Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and Denmark The ACDV will also propose dialogue with these

EXAMPLES OF EUROPEAN MEASURES FAVOURING THE BIOECONOMY, NOT INCLUDING THE CAP

encourage the sugar and starch sectors have disappeared over time from the range of European aid. Under the principle of “decoupling of aid” , CAP aid is almost exclusively

reserved for supporting farm income and not for supporting products,” notes Jean-Luc Pelletier, a member of the Board of the ACDV and CEO of USIPA. Similarly, the conventional CAP management tools have been progressively dismantled, no longer taking into account the need to encourage the production of agricultural raw materials for certain sectors of industrial processing.

In the absence of such measures, the ACDV will suggest in particular the introduction of targeted tools such as for the transporting of agricultural or forest waste or aid for deliveries to biorefineries. In addition to rural development, biorefineries represent an instrument for regulating markets. If sufficiently integrated, they can help to offset the effects of price fluctuations. This is an important point to which the ACDV wishes to draw attention.

The ACDV’s positions will be communicated to the various national and European players concerned to try to ensure that the Common Agricultural Policy becomes synonymous with the growth of plant-based chemistry. ■

For all those interested in plantbased chemistry

www.chimieduvegetal.com

© DR

MEMBERS’ VIEWS Philippe PINTA, Chairman of Céréaliers de France and UNIGRAINS In your opinion, what measures in the CAP need to be changed?

Our biggest worry concerns the European Union budget. If it is reduced, the resources of the next CAP will also be reduced, and against competitors whose competitiveness is powerfully supported or encouraged, we would be all the more vulnerable to a decline in our production..

What do you think of the planned greening measures?

The 7 % quota for areas of ecological interest is excessive.

We should aim for a rate of 3 % with carefully calibrated equivalences for reservoirs of biodiversity (hedgerows, trees, wildlife cultivation areas, etc.) and areas set aside for environmental protection (grassing of river banks, for example). A 7 % quota would lead to the appearance of fallow land, in total

contraction with the increase in world demand for grain.

What is Unigrains’ view on plant-based chemistry ?

We are convinced that plant-based chemistry, which is currently a niche sector, has a bright future ahead of it. That is why Unigrains wished to join the ACDV in its start-up phase, considering it important to be there from the beginning as one of the partners in such a dynamic development and investment initiative.

FormuleVerte - N°10 - June 2012

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© Salveco

Focus [PRODUCTS] DETERGENTS

Salveco champions plant based formulations The company located in the Vosges has developed a range for the general public named You, using expertise which was previously destined for B2B customers.

K

30 FormuleVerte - N°10 - July 2012

© Salveco

supplies from China for some itchen and processed raw materials in order to bathroom cleaners, be competitive, but today we have stain removers, and an industrial and secure European disinfectants, the source from the biological transforYou range made its debut in late mation of plant materials,” says 2011 in Monoprix stores. If its Stephan Auberger. When it is not debut was noticed, it was thanks possible, the company arranges to to very innovative packaging buy from suppliers which guaranwhich picks up the visual codes of tee sustainable and equitable cosmetics, more than those of management of resources. This is detergents. In fact it is transparent, the case for spearmint from the just like the formulas it contains.

Moroccan Atlas, pine from Moreover, a refilling system, Eastern Europe and RSPO certified containing a concentrate for dilu- After Monoprix, the You range is about to be available at Auchan, palm oil. Thanks to this, the tion, is offered at a cost of 25 to 35 % Casino, Leclerc and Carrefour stores. company has earned the Ecocert less than the original product. and Ecolabel certifications.

Finally, the colours red, yellow, green and tions and today companies come knocking In terms of production, the company purple were chosen for the very graphically at my door offering new ones to me” says operates facilities which are continuous, designed labels. But behind this design Stephan Auberger, a fervent advocate of fully automated and developed in partnerwhat will attract customers are the propriesustainable development and the good ship with the IFPEN, within the framework tary formulations developed by a specialist sense of plant based chemistry. of initiatives for SMEs/SMIs. It characterisin detergents, the company Salveco. At its Sustained research efforts tics are: production is carried out with inception in 1995, the company, based in zero discharges and cleaning is integrated Saint Die des Vosges, chose to position itself The development of the formulations requiinto its budget. For the You range, their in the B2B market; this means that it manured a great deal of research and numerous capacity for producing the highly concenfactured products for big names such as academic partnerships. For example, in trated liquid is 240 tons per month.

Norauto, Hoover, Éléphant Bleu and Divercleaning, surfactants are made from wheat, sey which they then marketed under their rapeseed, coconut or sugar beet. For disinApart from You, Salveco still supplies green own brand names. With You, Salveco has fection, Salveco has replaced bleach with lines for its B2B customers. “In the industrial directly tackled the consumer market for the plant based biocides, notably including world, a green line is not enough. They want first time. Their company founder and chief lactic acid, which, synergised, gives results products which are competitive and efficient, scientific officer since their takeover by the which are still unmatched. The company and which are better for the health and group Doucet, Stephan Auberger explains has also filed patents on the subject. safety of their operators. I remain convinced that beyond its design, the major advantage Fragrances are provided by HEBBD certified that the solution is to use plant based mateof the You range lies in its formulation. It is essential oils, which are gradually released rials, particularly marine ones,” says the said made of 100 % plant or mineral based via a proprietary technology using a natuthe CSO, who is already dreaming of meeingredients, which are biodegradable and ral film. And to soften hard water, the ting other challenges. Perhaps an entry into available in aqueous phase. “At the time of formulations include natural and biodecosmetics, knowing that he will have to take the creation of the company, the plant-based gradable polycarboxylates. into account regulatory subtleties in ingredients were uncommon and had a Moreover, these materials are mostly advance. ■ high cost. Today, there are lots of elements “made in France” and to a lesser extent in available to develop innovative formulaEurope. “In the past we had to get our SYLVIE LATIEULE

[PRODUCTS] POLYMERS Arkema group boosts the properties of its 70 percent biobased polyphtamides range.

A

rkema has recently completed its polyphthalamide (PPA) Rilsan HT (high temperature) range with an ultra flexible grade, close to the level of flexibility of polyamides for extrusion. Launched in 2009, Rilsan HT which contains up to 70% renewable carbon was the first flexible PPP to replace metal in tubes in applications subject to high temperatures. The 820 MPa module already represented leading innovation and the latest goes even further in its flexibility properties, at about 500 MPa. This “ultra flexible” grade represents a technological breakthrough by offering new opportunities for replacing metal, rubber and fluoro-

© Arkema

Rilsan becomes ultra flexible

Possible applications in the automobile sector.

polymers in tube assemblies.

Note that the new grade combines the optimum properties of long chain aliphatic polyamide 11, and Rilsan PA11 with those of traditional semi-aromatic PPP:

it combines the flexibility of PA11 to the resistance to high temperature environment of PPA, thus representing a veritable technological breakthrough for the PPA family. ■ SYLVIE LATIEULE

Focus

Plexiglas goes biosourced ■ Plexiglas Rnew is a new polymer blend offered by Altuglas, an Arkema subsidiary, in collaboration with NatureWorks. It is obtained by mixing PMMA (Plexiglas from Arkema) and PLA (Ingeo from NatureWorks) and contains over 20 % non-fossil carbon. The properties of this new compound come from the synergistic effect of its two components: lower temperature processability, greater fluidity, and a reduced carbon footprint.

Other properties such as impact strength are improved compared to conventional PMMA, with the performance of a polycarbonate or copolyester. Finally, the Plexiglas Rnew blend does not compromise the optical qualities of PMMA or its scratch resistance, allowing for the possibility of colouring and surface aesthetics.

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Focus [PRODUCTS COSMETICS

O

ligopin is a novel antioxidant derived from maritime pine and offered by the company DRT. “In 2005 I discovered the DRT oligopin. After receiving a sample, I was immediately interested by this extract of maritime pine bark,” says Tatiana Stevanovic who teaches wood chemistry in Canada. Attracted by this active ingredient derived from by-products from the sawmill industry, maritime pine bark, she integrated oligopin into her work with her students.

“We mainly study local species and thanks to the DRT samples we can carry out comparative studies between extracts of Canadian species and extracts essences of maritime pine from the Landes region.” And Tatiana Stevanovic adds: “Very quickly, we demonstrated the antioxidant potential of this

© DR

A new anti-oxidant derived from pine

Pine bark is the origin of the new active ingredient.

active ingredient. Several tests show that many free radicals are trapped by the polyphenols in the oligopin”. Various clinical studies have been conducted on the subject and the

results corroborate in vitro studies. For example, the clinical study conducted by the Bordeaux University Hospital shows that OPC extracts from the bark of maritime pine have a positive influence on the activity of antioxidant systems of humans, naturally those subjected to oxidative stress. The oligopin thus works against premature aging in particular.

The effectiveness of oligopin is partly explained by high concentration and purity of the ingredient. Indeed, thanks to the unique expertise of DRT in its extraction, the Landesbased company is able to provide extracts with unparalleled levels of purity. The figures prove it: the oligopin contains a high percentage of low mass OPCs (oligomeric procyanidolics). ■ S.L.

An Ecocert certified lactic acid ■ Jungbunzlauer has recently started production of high purity L-lactic acid, made from sodium lactate and potassium via the natural fermentation of carbohydrates obtained from non-genetically modified plants.

Plant based, these derivatives of lactic acid are Ecocert certified.

Eco-certification for Minasolve ■ Minasolve has obtained ecocertification for its plant-based pentylene glycol, MinaCare Pentiol Green. It is colourless and odourless, similar to the synthetic quality already manufactured by Minasolve. The first batches were manufactured by Pennakem, its sister company.

Minasolve is continuing to expand its range of paraben and alkylphenols substitutes, providing plant based ingredients.

ORGANIC COMPOSITE

A plant based solution for bitumen

A material designed for plastic moulders

B

ioneth Anti-Adherent is biodegradable non stick product which is 100 % plantbased, from the company ETH Solutions. This product consists of oil and ester of rapeseed, and contains no chemical derivatives. It is used in transport and making bitumen for road construction, with the option of eliminating the adhesion of hot asphalt on steel supports.

This additive is compatible with vehicle body paints, plastic light covers, and flexible polymer pipes. It is an easily biodegradable product, non flammable, non toxic. It is also .

It characteristics are: a density of 0.88 (+- 0.2), yellow to amber

32 FormuleVerte - N°10 - July 2012

© DR

NON-STICK

Rapeseed is the origin of an anti-adherent for bitumen.

colour, a low but characteristic odour, slightly soluble in water, and a flash point above 130 °C. It is used pure in sprays. It forms a film of 30 μ at 5 bars, making for a consumption of 1 litre per 30 m2. ■ S.L.

T

he paper company UPM presented their material UPM ForMi for the first time at JEC in March. It is designed based on cellulose fibres which reinforce the polymer used, in this case polypropylene. Cellulose fibre, from 20 to 60 %, depending on the application of the material, is made from certified forests and the process for its manufacture makes extensive use of bio-energy.

ForMi is thus a material with a low carbon footprint.

This material, which is available in granular form, is intended for injection

moulding and extrusion.

With consistent quality, it is very durable, has significant technical advantages, including its acoustic qualities, thermal insulation, being easy to use, nontoxic, and odourless. It is recyclable after use and can also be recovered as energy.

Being easy to mould, this material will find applications in mechanical, automotive, aerospace, electronics, and consumer applications such as furniture, domestic equipment, disposable products, recreation and sport amongst others. ■ S.L.

[NEW PRODUCTS] Suppliers PREINDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION The technical industrial centre for fats, Iterg has gone into the start up phase with its platform to start pre-industrial production of bioproducts of oleaginous origin. It is a production tool which allows it to support companies throughout their innovation efforts.

Iterg equips itself to better support industrial players S

form for the transfer production processes.

“We started construction of the platform in 2009, taking time to do market research and apply for funding,” says Carine Alfos.

Financing which was found from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Aquitaine region, the National Fund for Management and Development Planning and the National Interprofessional Organisation for Cereals and Oleaginous Fruits (ONIDOL). Completed in late 2011, the CEDOP entered development stage in January 2012 and should be fully operational by its official opening in October

An R&D pilot in the preindustrial series The platform has many industrial production tools: a synthesis reactor, a filter press, a decanter, etc. It also has three other skids dedicated to unit operations of hydrogenation/hydrolysis/carbonation in batch, continuous molecular distillation and deodorisation of oils into fatty acids (batch or

© Iterg

upporting industrial players from the laboratory right up to industrial production; this is what Iterg offers with its European centre for the development of oil-products (CEDOP). Having cost 9 million euros and employing 13 staff, this platform is aimed at industrialists looking to implement the scaling up of their research and development projects into bioproducts from oilseeds. “This is a veritable stepping stone towards industrial production which aims to transfer the production processes of bioproducts onto the market,” says Carine Alfos, director of innovation at Iterg. She adds: “These facilities also allow for the custom manufacture of bioproducts derived from fatty acids with high added value.”

The history of CEDOP began in 2006, after finding that efforts in R&D into lipid chemistry could have been validated more rapidly with a transfer of scale, helping to integrate the issues and industrial constraints. Iterg had the idea of building an advanced plat-

With its CEDOP platform, Iterg offers to assist companies in their R&D for the development of bioproducts.

continuous). “The CEDOP brings together capacities for synthesis, formulation and unit processes in order to meet the needs of our clients,” says the director of innovation at ITERG, adding, “With our facilities, we have a production capacity ranging from kilograms to tonnes in batches.” Furthermore, the CEDOP benefits at its Pessac site from a veritable technological chain for obtaining refined oils to produce fatty acid derivatives.

Indeed, the steps of oilseed crushing can be entrusted to Creol (a pilot oil mill on the site), while the refining of crude oils is carried out by an Iterg refining unit. CEDOPs facilities are aimed at various markets such as cosmetics, paints, materials, bio-lubricants and packaging. “Our equipment allows us to develop bio-molecules and bio-products and develop new synthons for non-food markets,” says Carine Alfos. Along with the technical resources, the industrial technical centre offers administrative guidance, providing support for “Bio-product” innovation. This approach consists of establishing and bringing innovative projects to a government scheme, trying to get financial aid (co-financing from the Ministry of Industry, and Research Tax Credit). “This provision is aimed in particular at SMEs and medium size companies to favourise their pre-research strategies. Each project is then undergoes a technical, economic and environmental assessment by our team of experts,” says the director of innovation at Iterg.

In terms of outlook, Iterg is already working on tools for using other types of procurement of raw materials: oil alternatives (microalgae, non-food oilseeds, yeast modified by biotechnology), animal fats, sugars and industrial by-products. All of which should increase opportunities for collaboration with companies from increasingly diverse backgrounds. ■ DINHILL ON, FROM PESSAC FormuleVerte - N°10 - July 2012

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Suppliers [NEW PRODUCTS] REGULATORY FILES

authorisation.

The consulting company offers assistance in producing requests for operating

Iso-Ingénierie offers their service to players in biomass

S

pecialising in consulting and expertise for numerous industrial sectors, for the past 3 years the company Iso-Ingénierie has offered a specially dedicated service to the world of biomass conversion. The firm has specialised in assisting in the production of regulatory files, particularly request dossiers for authorisation to operate, or DDAEs, which fall under the ICPE legislation (classified installation for protection the environment). “In France, many projects for renewable energy and biomass development are emerging,” says Thomas Portejoie, the director of the agency based in the

Rhone-Alps, including projects based around the production of biofuels, biogas by anaerobic digestion, energy recovery of biomass in boilers amongst others; all these facilities may pose a risk to the environment and require a regulatory framework of the ICPE type. The use of biomass as a raw material does not change anything.

In contrast, hazard and health impact studies, which constitute the heart of DDAEs, have their own particularities, compared to studies for conventional chemical procedures. “The methods are quite new and different in nature,” says their director. In terms of

EQUIPMENT

cation and storage. “We have positioned ourselves on these issues and we are beginning to gain some experience, especially in carrying out APR/HAZOP risk analyses where modelling of hazardous phenomenons are required for studies of danger,” adds Thomas Portejoie who considers that a good knowledge of the world of biomass and biofuels combined with expertise in the chemical and petroleum industries is an important asset for best supporting the industrial sector in composing their regulatory filings. ■ SYLVIE LATIEULE

anaerobic processes, fermentation waste by bacteria is a process which occurs under mild conditions. However, in the production of biofuels, the processes are carried out at higher temperatures and with pressure conditions closer to those of the chemical and oil industry. In addition, products produced from biomass are generally less toxic than conventional chemicals, but the drying process of biomass or waste composting often leads to unpleasant odours. And in the case of anaerobic digestion, the reaction product, biogas is flammable and can pose a significant risk during the phases of purifi-

Information: thomas.portejoie@ iso-ingenierie.com

ENERGY

Soufflet utilises grain dust

■ The company Infors HT has

■ The Soufflet Group, experts in

© Infors HT

3000 μmol/m2s, the level of sunslaunched its photobioreactor, hine in the Caribbean. Equipped Labfors 5 Lux LED Flat Panel for with a 1.8-litre growing algae, plant cells and tank, it has a cyanobacteria and flat surface others, and is which is only ideal for all two centimephotosynthetic tres thick, alloprocesses. A 260wing for an LED light source irradiation provides a reproforce which ducible light, of is uniform high quality, throughout with the ability the culture. to simulate the The mixture change in brightcontrol and the ness during the gas flow rate (in day. The maxiparticular CO2) mum radiation is carried our via corresponds to mass flow an intensity of The Labfors 5 Lux LED Flat Panel controllers. approximately photobioreactor.

S.L.

34 FormuleVerte - N°10 - July 2012

the wheat and barley sectors and the leading private French grain collector, has published the first results of its new biomass boiler operating on grain dust. Installed in September 2011 on their site at Nogentsur-Seine, this technological advance reduces annual natural gas consumption by around 75%, and greatly reduces the carbon footprint of the site. In this new boiler, Soufflet uses a biofuel which has previously never been used: grain dust.

Previous methods burned grain, straw or agro-pellets. But at Nogent, Soufflet produces large quantities of grain dust, from their storage and malting barley cleaning operations. The chal-

© Soufflet

A photobioreactor for photosynthetic cultures

Soufflet biomass boiler.

lenge was to control the combustion of this biomass which has a reputation for being unstable by developing a special process. The installed boiler has a power of 6 MW. The average calorific value of biomass fuel used is 4 MWh/t, which means that at full power boiler uses 1.5 t/h of dust. Thanks to this success, Soufflet is preparing to extend the process to other French and European sites. S.L.

Index [COMPANIES] List of advertisers ADVERTISERS

PAGE

3C FRANCE

13

ACDV CRODA EUROCOAT

3-4ND COVER

POLE IAR

15

5

POLE IAR

UP COVER.

9

INFO CHMIE MAGAZINE

PLANT BASED SUMMIT

27

28-29 2ND COVER

ITERG

MOLYDAL

35

PRODUITS NATURELS BIOSOURCES

19

SIA/NOVANCE

25

UIC

31

Businesses and organisations referred to in this edition

A ACD p 14 Adebiotech p 12 Ademe p 12 Advancity p 21 Aelred p 21 Alsace Energivie p 21 Altuglas p 31 Amyris p 9, 10, 22 ARD p 8, 10 Arkema p 14, 20, 31 Arterris p 24 Avantium p 3, 17

B Berkem p 14 BfB Oil Research p 24 BFF p 29 Bio Architecture Lab p 10 BioAmber p 8, 20 Boregaard p 10 Braskem p 17, 20 Bridgestone p 21 Brugarolas p 24

C Caisse des Dépôts p 20 Cargill p 8 Cedop p 33 Chemtex p 10 CNRS p 18 Coca-Cola p 3 Codexis p 9 Condat p 24, 26 Creol p 33 CVG p 20

D Danone p 3, 17 Diversey p 30 Doucet p 30 DRT p 14, 32 DSM p 8

36 FormuleVerte - N°10 - July 2012

DuPont p 8

E Ebm-papst p 7 Eco Innovation Vosolub p 24, 26 Elf p 14 ENSAIT p 21 ENSCR p 18 ERRMA p 22 ETHsolutions p 32

F, G FARE p 11 FCBA p 16 Feder p 33 Fibres p 21 Flos p 7 Ford p 3 France Brevets p 20 François Eudes p 10 Fuchs France p 34 Genomatica p 8, 9 Genopole p 21 Gevo p 3 Global Bioenergies p 9, 10 Greenstars p 21 Greiner Packaging p 14

H,I Heinz p 3 Hoover p 30 I-Trans p 21 IAR p 10, 12, 21 Idiolab p 24 IFMAS p 21 Ifpen p 11 IFPEN p 30 INDEED p 21 Ineos Bioprocess p 10 Infors HT p 34 INRA p 20, 21 Iso-Ingénierie p 34 Iterg p 24, 33

ITW Spraytec p 7

J,K JardiBuro p 6 Jungbunzlauer p 32 K-Lice p 7

L,M L’Elephant Bleu p 30 Lanzatech p 10 LIPHT p 11 Minasolve p 32 Mines de Douai p 21 Mitsubishi Rayon p 11 Molydal p 23, 24, 26 Motul p 24 MotulTech p 23, 24, 26 Mov’eo p 21 Myriant p 8

N,O NatureWorks p 31 Nike p 3 Norauto p 30 Notox p 14 Novamont p 8 Novance p 22, 23, 24, 26 Omega Cat System p 18 Omni Tech International p 22 Onidol p 33 Osiris p 20

P, Q P.I.V.E.R.T. p 10, 20, 21 Pennakem p 32 Phyto-Valor p 7 Plastipolis p 21 Pôle IAR p 11, 24, 26 Procter&Gamble p 3 Proteus p 11 Provence huiles p 24 PTT p 8

R, S Rennovia p 9 Reverdia p 8 Roquette p 8 RS Clare P 24 Salveco p 30 Siclaé p 20 Sinfoni p 21 Sofiproteol p 10, 20 Solvay p 19 Soufflet p 20, 34 Stanlub p 24 Symyx p 9

T,U,V Techniker p 24 Techtera p 21 Tereos Syral p 20 Total p 9 , 10, 14 Toyal Europe p 14 Ueil p 24 UIC p 14 Umicore p 18 Unifa p 16 Up-Tex p 21 UPJV p 20 UPM p 32

V,X,Z Valagro p 20 ValBiom p 22, 24 Véhicule du Futur p 21 Veolia Environnement p 13 Vertellus p 33 Vinythai p 19 Virent p 3 Vitivista p 14 Zeachem p 10

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10 FV GB SURCOUV BAT_Mise en page 1 03/07/12 10:38 Page3

A chemistry formulation serie: Regulatory Regulatory,, politic, technical, economical, market, marketing, envir onmental topics, environmental industrialization cycle

A scientific serie: T echnical e topics, Technical products, products, processes, processes, eco-design, life-cycles environmental analysis, envir onmental impact…

An industrialization serie: Technologies T echnologies transfers, Engineering, Finance, Time-to-Market …

A three series conference All key decisions makers, at one place, once a year !

O ptimize your customer and pr ospect meetings Optimize prospect o or bio-r esources industrialist, a chemical manufactur er, an agr ocomposites You Yo ou are are an agr agro bio-resources manufacturer, agrocomposites industrialist, a biomass transformer ovider, transformer,, a testing laboratory laboratory,, a formulator formulator,, an equipment pr provider, an investor ,… investor,, an institutional body body,…

Exhibit at Plant Based Summit ! products and solutions position Affirm your products a value your exper expertise Have your say and tise Enter and trade the biobased applicative and intermediate market Enter

Increase your turnover Increase Who visits?

Directors, managers: R&D, marketing, sales, purchasing, Directors, purchasing, sourcing, sourcing, technical, Engineering, Production…

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End users of the application sectors : Industrial formulation, Packaging, Biomaterials, Cosmetics, Coating …

Design: charnilagence.com - Photo credit: Fotolia

To exhibit Endorsed by:

Jean-Luc GARNIER 00 33 (0)1 77 92 96 86 jlgarnier@infopro.fr Olivier HARDY 00 33 (0)1 77 92 96 77 ohardy@infopro.fr

Co-organised Co-organised by:

Press partners:

E-T-A-I E-T -A-I (Editions TTechniques echniques de l’Automobile et de l’Industrie) - Siège social : 10 place du Général de Gaulle 92160 ANTONY - FRANCE, immatriculée immatriculée au R.C.S. NANTERRE NANTERRE sous le n° 806 420 360

10 FV GB SURCOUV BAT_Mise en page 1 03/07/12 10:38 Page4

European conference and exhibition for biobased products S September eptember 25-26, 2013 Grande Halle de la Villette Paris-France

40 conferences and round tables 100 speakers – 100 exhibitors 2000 auditors and visitors

PROMOTING PROMOTING AND AND GATHERING GATHERING MAJOR MAJOR A ACTORS CTORS OF BIOB BIOBASED ASED CHEMIS CHEMISTRY TRY IN E EUROPE UROPE

Biobased products: A high value-added market with promising potential Global marketing perspectives reaching reaching $ 205 billion by 2020 (Source: (Source: Mc Kinsey)

A worldwide strategic sector for industry A long-term structural gr growth rowth suppor supporting ting employments A stimulating envir environment projects onment for research research and innovation pr ojects Upscaling issues

To To To To To To To To

suppor support supp t and accelerate the biobased chemistry gr growth owth raise and foster knowledges sharing create create and ener energize opportunities gize business oppor tunities represent interests representt the sector’s sector’s inter ests

products oducts value chain A major meeting for all stakeholders of the biobased pr

materials Raw mater rials production Professional Pr ofess onal users

Industrialization

Resear Research ch

Formulation

Also with:

with:

Associations, federations and pr professional ofessional unions Public authorities Competitiveness clusters Centers of Excellence

Pilot Pr Production od duction Plants

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