Bio MPA, in full 3-methylphthalic anhydride, is a bio-aromatic which can replace the fossil ingredient phthalic anhydride in coatings. It not only makes the coatings more durable, but also offers improved properties, such as increased hardness. Customers of coatings have expressed interest in buying bio MPA once the product becomes commercially available. The scale-up required for this starts with process optimisation studies in cooperation with Solvay and with support from investment fund Invest-NL.
Relement CTO Stefano Iannacone explains “Carrying out process optimization studies are important milestones for bio MPA commercialization. In the chemical world, innovative start-ups like Relement often encounter financial hurdles to scale-up their production process. Typically, a pilot facility is needed which requires significant capital investment and resources. To minimize risks and to speed up our technology scale-up, we have therefore scouted the chemical innovation landscape and found that several large chemical companies have R&D assets and know how open for external selected collaborations. We believe that Solvay R&IC Lyon is a great partner to assist Relement in our journey towards commercial scale.”
Sharing experiences
Invest-NL Senior Business Developer Guus Dubbink adds: “We have helped Relement develop an innovative new business model that helps overcome initial financial hurdles, based on outsourcing the demonstration step. Invest-NL supports Relement in its mission to commercialise and scale up production. Moreover, the experiences gained will be shared with the biobased chemistry community, helping similar Dutch start-ups.”
Invest-NL Senior Business Developer Guus Dubbink adds: “We helped Relement to develop an innovative new business model helping to overcome the first financial hurdles, based on outsourcing the demonstration step. Invest-NL supports Relement in its mission to commercialize and scale-up production. Furthermore, the learnings will be shared to the bio-based chemistry community, thereby helping similar Dutch start-ups.”
According to Grégory Landelle, lab manager of Organic Chemistry and Process Development, Solvay is pleased to support Relement in its development of bio MPA. “Relement, like Solvay, develops sustainable solutions based on innovative technologies using renewable products from biomass. It fits in with the mission of Solvay Research and Innovation Center of Lyon to invent and design materials of the future, products and processes with the lowest environmental footprint during industrial production and consumer (re)use.”
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