Rhodia (Paris, France; www.rhodia.com,) member of the Solvay Group, and Avantium (Amsterdam, the Netherlands; www.avantium.com) have entered into a partnership to jointly develop a range of new bio-based polyamides targeting a variety of applications. This partnership expands and completes the previously announced development agreement in the field of bio-based engineering plastics between Solvay and Avantium. Building on the newly combined forces of Rhodia and Solvay, the extended relationship offers the partners a unique opportunity to explore a wide range of compositions and applications based on Avantium’s YXY technology (YXY is Avantium’s brand name of a family of green building blocks that can compete with oil-based alternatives. For more on this and other bio-based materials, see The Bio-Based Economy, Chem. Eng., August, 2011, pp. 14–16)
In the frame of this joint development, the companies will explore the market potential of polyamide compositions on the basis of YXY building blocks. Produced from renewable and bio-based feedstock, these compositions are expected to exhibit superior environmental profile and at the same time to deliver applicative performances at a competitive cost. Rhodia will test these new polyamides for fibers and engineering applications in various areas, such as consumer goods, automotive and electronic materials. Rhodia and Avantium have entered into a multi-year, exclusive collaboration toward commercialization of these new polyamides.