BASF, Novozymes, Cargill ink contract to develop bio-based technologies to synthesize acrylic acid

21-Aug-12

BASF, Novozymes and Cargill have entered into a contract to develop bio-based technologies to synthesize acrylic acid using renewable raw materials. Acrylic acid is currently synthesized by oxidizing propylene produced from crude oil refining. Novozymes, a company specializing in industrial enzymes with vast knowledge acquired through the development of technologies to produce bio-based chemicals, has been working on renewable acrylic acid technology with Cargill since 2008. Both firms have been involved in the development of microorganisms that are capable of producing 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP) from renewable feedstock. 3-HP is one potential chemical precursor for the synthesis of acrylic acid. BASF has now teamed up with Novozymes and Cargill to develop a process for production of acrylic acid from 3-HP. BASF is the largest manufacturer of acrylic acid in the world and has sizeable production and downstream processing capabilities for acrylic acid. The company intends to utilize the bio-based acrylic acid initially for the production of superabsorbent polymers.