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Home , Mitsui Chemicals, Suzuki Hustler

special report

Green era on

the horizon illa Luz Adriana V

Japan’s leading chemical applications to complement activities in food are reluctant to pay any premium for biobased ingredients, fine chemicals and other niche materials and products despite the country’s companies are investing specialty chemicals. “Japan’s strong interests in higher concern about the environment and sustainability and climate change have also climate change, according to de Guzman. heavily in biobased pushed major domestic companies to imple- “A big challenge for Japanese companies is to materials, driven by the ment their own corporate initiatives for solving find competitive and stable biobased resources, these issues,” de Guzman adds. which has also been driving their investments need to find alternative This often requires investment in overseas in renewable chemical technologies to bring feedstocks and produce start-up firms, according to Meraldo Antonio, costs down, improve performances and an analyst with US-based Lux Research, which increase scale,” she asserts. greener products sees global capacity for biobased chemicals and materials reaching over 7m tonnes/year within MCC’s DURABIO PLASTICS cynthia challener vermont, US the next three years. Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC) has “Most Japanese chemical firms are mature, been very successful with its Durabio line of apanese companies are key players and established companies with long track biobased engineering plastics made from continue to drive the development of records in more traditional areas of chemis- plant-derived isosorbide. In 2013, Durabio interesting biobased materials through try [bulk chemicals and common polymers], was used in the interior colour panels of the investment in many different biotechnol- but little experience with biobased chemi- Hustler. In 2015, the two companies Jogy companies around the world. “As a major cals and often little access to biobased feed- announced the co-development of a newer importer of fossil resources, Japan has been a stocks,” he explains. grade of Durabio for use in the interior resin front-runner in initiating the development of The greatest interest is in performance mate- colour panels of Suzuki’s new Alto Lapin. biobased chemicals as alternatives to fossil feed- rials, according to Antonio, largely due to the MCC has also worked with Motor stocks,” says Doris de Guzman, senior consult- sprawling automotive and consumer product Corporation to jointly develop Durabio grades ant for biomaterials with Tecnon OrbiChem. industries in Japan. Parallel to this driver is the for use in interior and exterior automotive com- Japanese industrial sectors, particularly demand from Japanese consumers for more ponents, the latest grade for use in the interior the automotive, electronics and packaging environmentally friendly products. “The com- parts of the 2015 Mazda MX-5. MCC is also industries, have strong interests in the develop- bination of these two factors has resulted, in targeting the consumer electronics market, ment and use of bioplastics, while the well- particular, in the flourishing of the biobased introducing a Durabio grade for use in the touch established fermentation industry in Japan is polymers industry in Japan,” he observes. panels of automobiles in 2014. Durabio is also looking to expand its portfolio in industrial However, like in the US, Japanese consumers used for the front panels of ’s ❯❯ www.icis.com 26 October-1 November 2015 | ICIS Chemical Business | 43 special report japan

❯❯ 2015 Aquos Crystal 2 smartphone. used in lubricant and plastic additives. That renewable isobutanol in May 2014 for the MCC also announced in 2015 that it has same year, Chemicals formed a joint ven- manufacture for biobased polyethylene tereph- developed a biobased polycarbonate diol for the ture with Japan’s Itoh Oil Chemicals and India’s thalate (PET). Toray also provided funding production of polyurethane (PU), acrylic and Jayant Agro Organics to producing biopolyols in assistance for Gevo’s PX demonstration plant polyester polymers for use in automotive interi- India based on castor oil. at its biorefinery at South Hampton Resources. or materials (seat covers, instrument panels) and Also in 2013, Mitsui and Dow Chemical Toray is also working with to exterior coatings, and as resins for electronic announced the indefinite postponement of develop and commercialise nylon-56 from products and water-borne PU coatings. plans to build a sugarcane ethanol-based bio- dicarboxylic acid and bio-1,5-pentane- Production capacity is claimed to be 1,000 polymer (largely biopolyethylene) plant in diamine (1,5-PD) produced from the amino tonnes/year, but MCC expects to expand that Brazil, citing rising design and construction acid lysine, which is made from plant as demand increases. MCC’s joint venture with costs and land ownership laws in the country. materials by Ajinomoto using fermentation Thai producer PTT (PTTMCC) laid the corner- technology. In addition, Toray offers Ecodear stone of a 20,000 tonne/year biobased poly- Toray’s foray into biomaterials polylactic acid (PLA) derived from plants. butylene succinate (PBS) plant at the Asia LumiLid biobased, dual-ovenable, solvent- Ajinomoto and T.HASEGAWA CO reached Industrial Estate in the province of Rayong, free lidding films introduced in 2015 are man- an agreement in August 2015 to combine T. Thailand in September 2014. The plant is ufactured with Toray’s proprietary sustaina- HASEGAWA’s flavour refining and formulation scheduled to start up some time in 2015. ble resin blends comprising greater than 50% technologies with Ajinomoto’s biotechnologies Also in 2014, MCC agreed to an exclusive renewable feedstocks. They are designed for and fermentation technologies to accelerate the supply agreement with BioAmber and frozen, wet and dry food and dairy applica- research, development and commercialisation Mitsui & Co for biobased succinic acid for tions and are FDA-compliant for oven of fermentation-derived natural flavours the PBS plant. The BioAmber Sarnia plant temperatures of up to 400°F for 30 minutes. derived from natural raw materials. built with Mitsui & Co opened in August 2015 In April 2013, Toray announced that it was In March 2014, Ajinomoto also announced with a 30,000 tonne/year capacity for biobased progressing towards commercialisation of that it established an industrial fermentation succinic acid from glucose sourced from biobased polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) process for L-tyrosine using only plant-based Canadian agricultural suppliers. using bio-butanediol (BDO) from Genomatica. raw materials that offers 100% traceability. In April 2015, Mitsui & Co initiated construc- Toray successfully produced a partially furthered its relationship with Myri- tion of a 2,000 tonne/year plant within its biobased PBT and moulded prototypes at the ant in 2014, signing an agreement with the Omuta Works for the manufacture new isocy- bench scale and confirmed its physical prop- bio-succinic acid producer and Taiwanese anates, including the biobased polyisocyanate erties. It was planning to make PBT samples chemical company UPC to promote bio-succin- Stabio, which is prepared from bio-1,5-penta- available that year and market the PBT com- ic acid based plasticisers. methylene diisocyanate (PDI). mercially once the bio-BD) is readily available expanded into biobased barrier In early 2013, Mitsui & Co entered into a from a Genomatica licensee. materials in April 2015 with the acquisition of multi-year agreement with Solazyme to jointly Under an offtake agreement established in Australian Plantic Technologies, which offers develop high-value tailored oils from micro- 2012, Toray began purchasing bio-paraxylene biobased food packaging and in 2014 extended algae as alternatives for palm and coconut oils (bio-PX) produced in the US by Gevo from its joint development agreement with Amyris

Japanese companies involved in renewable chemicals AND THEIR PARTNERS

Company Partner Products Company Partner Products Ajinomoto Bio-isoprene NOK - Bio-EPDM Toray Bio-nylon Riken Corporation Yokohama Rubber, Zeon Bio-isoprene rubber Allied Carbon - Bio-surfactants Saraya - Bio-surfactants Solutions - Bio-PBS, PLA Daicel PCL Partially bio-based cellulose acetow Sojitz Myriant Bio-succinic acid DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio-PTT Braskem Bio-polyethylene Kaneka - PHA Takasago Amyris Farnesene-based fragrance ingredients - Bio-surfactants - Bio-PET Kuraray - Bioplastic PLA Amyris Farnesene-based rubber Toray - Bio-nylon 6,10 Lion Corporation - Bio-surfactants Gevo Bio-PET Mitsubishi Chemical - PLA Genomatica Bio-PBT PTT Group Bio-PBS Braskem Bio-based polyolefin foam Roquette Isosorbide-based polymers NatureWorks PLA-based polymers Mazda Bio-based engineering plastics Ajinomoto Bio-nylon Mitsui & Co. - PDI, PLA, oleochemicals, - PLA biosurfactants Toyota - Bio-PET, Biobased plastic Jayant Agro/Itoh Oil Castor polyols alloy, PLA Dow Chemical Bio-ethanol CFFC (via Greencol) Bio-PET, Bio-MEG BioAmber Bio-succinic acid Braskem Bio-PE Solazyme Algal-based fatty acids - PLA, bio-nylon Nippon Shokubai - Bio-acrylic acid SOURCE: Tecnon OrbiChem

44 | ICIS Chemical Business | 26 October-1 November 2015 www.icis.com special report japan

on biobased farnesene derivatives, such as “Japan’s strong interests in ediol (PDO), and Teijin’s Eco Circle Plantfiber is liquid farnesene rubber and hydrogenated sty- PET made using biobased ethylene glycol. rene thermoplastic elastomers and made a $4m sustainability and climate “The acceptance of the Japanese Eco Mark strategic capital investment in the company. change have also pushed certification is standardising expectations for Also in 2014, Kuraray completed construc- biobased fibres, and the reduction of CO2 emis- tion of its facility for the manufacture of Biocar- major domestic companies sions is now a very important and serious global botron (jointly developed by Kureha Corpora- to implement their own issue. As a result, we see demand for biobased tion and Kuraray), a plant-based hard carbon corporate initiatives” fibres growing rapidly,” says Miora Ono, assis- anode material for lithium-ion batteries. tant to the general manager of the advanced Showa Denko developed HCAP (2-palmi- doris de guzmAn fibres and composites business group of Teijin. Senior consultant biomaterials, Tecnon OrbiChem toyl hydroxycitric acid), a lipophilic derivative ZEON Corporation, Yokohama Rubber Co. of HCA, an acid found in the skin of the and RIKEN (the Japan National Research and Garcinia cambogia plant that has the ability to Early in 2015, Teijin and Kansai University Development Agency) have been engaged in block fat synthesis. The company is offering announced the development of piezoelectric joint research for the production of synthetic HCAP in 2015 as a cosmetic raw material that fabrics comprising poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) rubbers from biomass since 2013 and deeply permeates the skin and cell membrane, fibres and carbon fibre electrodes. The sensing announced in September 2015 the successful contributing significantly to the effect of slim- function allows detection of complicated, and synthesis of isoprene from biomass using an ming and skin anti-aging. even three-dimensional, movements. artificial metabolic pathway. ZEON intends to Bionolle Starcla from Showa Denko is a bio- In 2013, Teijin reported that it had improved commercialise the technology by the early degradable blend of Bionolle PBS and biobased the heat and impact resistance of its transparent 2020s for the production of polyisoprene. starch and PLA that is positioned as an environ- polycarbonate biobased plastic Planext, which These examples underscore the high level mentally friendly alternative to non-biodegrada- uses isosorbide obtained from corn starch as a of interest in biobased chemicals and materi- ble plastics used for bags. “We see increasing raw material. Teijin also produces Biofront als at many Japanese firms. Notably, accord- demand for biodegradable materials due to stereocomplex PLA with a melting point 40°C ing to Antonio, much of the investment is tightening environmental regulation in EU and higher than that of conventional PLA. going towards biobased materials and chemi- the growing use of biodegradable plastics as Teijin and Teijin Frontier’s Solotex polytri- cals that offer added performance vis-à-vis agricultural mulches in China,” says Tomoko methylene terephthalate fibre is a partially bio- their petrochemical counterparts, particularly Yazaki with Showa Denko. derived material prepared from bio-1,3-propan- advanced bioplastics. ■

www.icis.com 26 October-1 November 2015 | ICIS Chemical Business | 45