MUNDOMATERIAL

1,3-Propanediol, also known as PDO, is an organic compound used as a monomer in a variety of applications. At the moment PDO can be obtained from both petrochemical and renewable sources. This gives me the chance to analyse how both routes lead to the same chemical, but not the same product.

Some of the main applications for PDO are listed below:

• As a monomer in the production of polymers
• As heat transfer fluid, coolant and solvant
• As an additive in thermoplastic polyurethanes, to improve thermal, hydrolitic and dimensional stability
• As an additive in polyester systems, to improve flexibility of coatings formulationsas a chain extender in polyurethane formulations

The largest producer of PDO is Shell, which manufactures it in its US plant in Geismar. Shell began PDO production in 2000 and it now has a plant capacity of 73 kt per year. The proprietary Shell method for producing PDO is the hydroformylation reaction of ethylene oxide (EO) with syngas to make 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde (HPA) followed by hydrogenation of HPA to PDO.

Bio-PDO: Two developments

DuPont Tate & Lyle Bioproducts

DuPont Tate & Lyle Bioproducts is a joint venture between polymer manufacturer DuPont and Tate & Lyle, self declared as a renewable ingredients manufacturer. DuPont is one of those big chemical companies that has a very diversified portfolio and a strong focus in R&D. DuPont introduce sustainability goals 18 years ago and has now make them part of its business strategy, not only in-house changes. Proof of DuPont’s commitment is the range of renewably sourced plastics already available from DuPont:

• DuPont^TM Sorona® EP thermoplastic resins
• DuPont^TM Hytrel® RS thermoplastic elastomers
• DuPont^TM Zytel® long chain polyamides
• DuPont^TM Biomax® PTT
• DuPont^TM Biomax® TPS packaging resins
• DuPont^TM Selar® VP packaging films

Bio-PDO is obtained by conversion from corn syrup effected by a genetically modified strain of E. coli. According to DuPont, the BioPDO process uses 40% less energy than conventional processes and it reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 20%.

Creative Commons License photo credit: chidorian

One of DuPont’s advantage over a company like METabolic EXplorer is its already existing commercial network, which allows the introduction of renewable products as part of a wider portfolio. DuPont Tate & Lyle Bioproducts‘ Bio-PDO is commercially available and products derived from it have already very defined applications. DuPont Tate & Lyle Bioproducts has two grades for its Bio-PDO:

• Susterra: for industrial applications like deicing and antifreeze
• Zemea: for consumer applications like cosmetic and personal care

METabolic EXplorer

METabolic EXplorer is based in France and it develops and patents industrial processes based on fermentation techniques. Its focus is the production of bulk chemical intermediates from renewable resources. METabolic EXplorer‘s strategy is to manufacture existing large volume products at lower cost. It is expected that products now being produced at pilot scale will further benefit from cost reductions when production is scale up, obviously. METabolic EXplorer’s portfolio is divided in in-house and partnered products:

• In-house portfolio: 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-propanediol and butanol
• Partnered portfolio: L-methionine and glycolic acid

In 2008 METabolic EXplorer announced the beginning the pre-industrial phases of all its in-house products. It also launched a campaign to find test partners to validate its bio-PDO.