BioAmber Produces Bio-based 1,4-Butanediol (1,4-BDO)

BioAmber Inc. has scaled up its hydrogenation catalyst technology under license from DuPont and converted multi-ton quantities of bio-succinic acid into 100% bio-based 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BDO), tetrahydrofuran (THF) and gamma-butyrolactone (GBL).  BioAmber believes the global addressable market for these products exceeds $4 billion, and that they are principally used to make polyesters, polyurethanes, spandex and biodegradable plastics.

Using bio-succinic acid made at its French facility as a starting material, BioAmber successfully completed a 1,4-BDO production campaign in collaboration with one of the world’s leading commercial catalyst suppliers and a toll manufacturer possessing large-scale hydrogenation reactors and distillation columns. 

“This is the culmination of two years of work and an important milestone in the development of our bio-based 1,4-BDO platform. We have been able to couple the DuPont catalyst technology with our bio-succinic acid production to manufacture high purity bio-based 1,4-BDO at demonstration scale,” said Jim Millis, BioAmber’s Chief Technology Officer.  “We are developing an integrated plant engineering design that combines the production of bio-succinic acid and bio-based 1,4-BDO on a single site,” he added.

High purity, bio-based 1,4-BDO is available from BioAmber for testing and product development. Companies interested in obtaining samples should contact Patrick Piot (patrick.piot@bio-amber.com +33 6 75 72 88 87), or visit BioAmber’s web site at www.bio-amber.com.

About BioAmber Inc.

BioAmber is a next generation chemicals company. Its proprietary technology platform combines industrial biotechnology, an innovative purification process and chemical catalysis to convert renewable feedstocks into chemicals for use in a wide variety of everyday products including plastics, food additives and personal care products. BioAmber produces bio-succinic acid in what it believes to be one of the world’s largest bio-based chemical manufacturing facilities. For more information visit the company’s web site at www.bio-amber.com.