Axens, Cargill and IFPEN join forces to scale biobased acrylic acid production technology


Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF. 

Axens, Cargill and IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN) are joining forces to further develop and scale biobased acrylic acid production technology with lactic acid as raw material. 

Figure 1. Axens, Cargill and IFPEN join forces to scale biobased acrylic acid production technology 

The collaboration leverages Cargill’s experience with biobased materials, IFPEN’s expertise in the field of catalyst and bioprocess development and Axens’ catalyst manufacturing and industrial scale-up design process to commercialize the Procter & Gamble (P&G) company’s lactic-to-acrylic-acid technology, which Cargill licensed in earlier this year. Since Cargill’s lactic acid technology is already commercially proven, efforts will focus on the catalyst and process development needed to convert lactic acid into biobased acrylic acid at scale, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50% when comparing to its fossil-based counterpart. 

Biobased acrylic acid can be used in a variety of applications, from hygiene products to household paints, delivering more sustainable solutions on a wide range of consumer products. The companies are advancing the technology according to staged milestones. Although it will be several years before it is ready to be deployed at commercial scale, test samples could be ready for potential customers sometime within the next 12 months.

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