AVA-CO2 has a patented process for the industrial production of the bio-based platform chemical 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF). Its downstream product is furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), which is the basis for polyethylene furanoate (PEF), a sustainable alternative to petro-based polyethylene terephthalate (PET). PEF can be used in bottling or films for food packaging, as well as cosmetics, personal care, detergent and medical technology industries.
According to an AVA-CO2 press release, the company has now developed a new interface that makes it possible to use water as well as other solvents, such as acetic acid, in the FDCA oxidation processes. This water-based process is scalable, thus providing the ‘missing link’ to for large-scale production of both FDCA and PEF.
“With this new interface, sustainable, innovative and competitive PEF-based solutions are a step closer,” says Thomas M. Kläusli, Chief Marketing Officer and spokesperson at AVA-CO2.
AVA-CO2 plans to produce PEF packaging this year at its site in Muttenz in the canton of Basel Landschaft for testing purposes. Industrial-scale production of 5-HMF/FDCA is set to begin in 2019. The plant will have a total production capacity of 120,000 tonnes of FDCA per year, 30,000 tonnes of which will be used for specific PEF applications.