In New York, Anellotech achieved new milestones at its TCat-8 pilot plant in Texas, progressing its 100% bio-based bottle collaboration with global consumer beverage company Suntory. Anellotech’s TCat-8 pilot plant is using Bio-TCatTM technology, an efficient thermal catalytic process which converts non-food biomass feedstock material into BTX aromatics, a group of renewable chemicals identical to their petro-based counterparts.
The first shipment of BTX has now been sent to joint development partners IFPEN and Axens for purification studies to make bio-paraxylene – the key aromatic chemical needed to make 100% renewable beverage bottles a reality. Bio-paraxylene from TCat-8 will be used to make renewable PET resin for prototype bottle manufacture and product testing.
Anellotech also continues to produce other aromatic products through its Bio-TCatTM process, including benzene and toluene. These can be used to make a range of bio-based polymers such as nylon, polycarbonates, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and industrial chemicals such as LAB (linear alkyl benzene), which is used in laundry detergents.