PEF, a 100% bio-based polyester:

Synthesis, Properties &

Sustainability

GJ Gruter, Avantium

HORIZON 2020
EUROPEAN UNION FUNDING
FOR RESEARCH & INNOVATION
Agenda

 Avantium introduction
 YXY Technology (PEF, next generation polyester)
 PEF properties
 PEF markets
 Development – Pilot Plant/ Road to commercialization
 New Chemistries: Mekong Technology (MEG)
 New Chemistries: Zambezi Technology (2G glucose)
 Summary

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 Avantium Business Units

Catalysis R&D New Chemistry YXY technology

systems & services project portfolio development

Profitable, cash-flow positive &
growing business
Innovative routes from biomass
to chemicals
- Lignocellulosic (2G) glucose
- Direct route to MEG from
carbohydrates
Next generation bio-based
furanic monomer and polymer
technology

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 Avantium profile
 Advanced Technology Foundations:
– High-throughput catalyst discovery & development

 Biobased Chemicals Company:

– YXY: Cost effective catalytic process to convert plant based feedstock into chemical
building blocks: FDCA and Levulinics and materials: PEF
– Mekong: Cost effective catalytic process to convert C6 carbohydrates to MEG
– Zambezi: Cost effective high purity glucose from lignocellulosic biomass.

 The Coca-Cola Company, Danone, ALPLA YXY partners for the development of 100%
bio-based PEF bottles. Wifag-Polytype for PEF thermoformed products. New
partnerships for PEF films and fibers (carpets) initiated.

 Privately held: supported by Swire, TCCC, Danone, ALPLA, Sofinnova, Capricorn, ING,
Aescap, Aster (€35M financing round closed summer 2014).

 150+ employees, Headquarters in Amsterdam, Pilot plant in Geleen, the Netherlands

 Planned commercial production of PEF in 2018

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 PEF - The Next Generation Polyester

Crude oil C6-Sugars

MEG PTA bioMEG FDCA

Yesterday: Today: Tomorrow:

PET BioPET PEF
100% Fossil 20% Plants 100% Plants

5
Confidential
 Options overview by atom efficiency
(theoretical max weight yield from C6 carbohydrates)

GEVO TPA

MEG
C2 = ethylene

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PEF has barrier !
O2

O2
O2 O2
H2O
CO2
O2
O2
H2O
O2 CO2

O2 CO2 O2
H2O
O2
O2

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PEF: the Next Generation Polyester

 Superior performance over PET:

– O2 barrier: 10x improvement
– H2O barrier: 2x improvement
– CO2 barrier: 4x improvement Oxygen (O2)
10x
 Improved Thermal Stability Water (H2O)
2x
– Tg: ~88°C  12°C higher than PET
 Excellent Mechanical Properties:
Carbon dioxide
– Tensile Modulus PEF : 1.6* PET (CO2)
4x

 Significant reduction in carbon

footprint*
– 70% lower carbon emission
– 65% lower NREU

* Patel et al. Energy Environ. Sci. 2012, 5, 6407

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Additional properties

 Improved Crystallization Behavior  No co-monomer needed to

reduce crystallization rate.
 PEF exhibits well behaved stress-strain curves and strain hardening
behavior.
 PEF rheology comparable with typical PET grades
 PEF heat distortion temperature is ~12°C higher than PET (77°C
PEF vs 65°C for PET)
 Hydrolytic stability similar as PET

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YXY Technology
The New PEF Supply Chain

dehydration oxidation polymerization processing

 MMF  FDCA  PEF 

PEF can be Produced in Existing PET Assets

 Chemical catalytic process

 Cost competitive at industrial scale
 Proven at pilot plant scale
 Fit with existing assets
Existing ISBM assets
Existing PET assets

Existing
thermoforming
assets
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 YXY Technology
Demonstrated at Pilot Plant

From lab scale to pilot plant scale

 Location: Chemelot site (‘Brightlands’) in Geleen, the Netherlands

 Start operations: December 2011
 Name plate capacity: 20 tpy crude MMF; 5 tpy pFDCA isolated; expansion
planned
 Objective: demonstrate YXY technology scale-up and produce volumes FDCA for
application development
 Organization: 24/7 operational, under full control and ownership of Avantium

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Targeting Multi-Bn$ Markets - create market Pull

PET Bottles
18 mT = PET Bottles 18 mT
PET Film
5 mT  Expected market growth
7-8% p.a.

= PET Film 5 mT
 Rigid thermoformed
packaging
 Flexible packaging

= PET Fibers 43 mT
 Carpet
PET Fibers  Clothing
43 mT  Tire cords

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PEF Performance
Enables Penetration of Existing and New Markets

Current markets:

New markets:

glass aluminum foil carton

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First PEF T-shirts of 100% recycled PEF bottles

100% Biobased
Made from 100%
Recycled PEF

Conventional
Conventional
polyester dyeing
polyester spinning
technology
technology

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Thesis Dolmans ITA, RWTH 2013
Safety

 Food Contact Safety studies finalized:

– Polymer and monomer are safe
– EFSA petition filed in 2013; positive opinion
published 2014
– FDA registration under preparation

 Safety studies FDCA monomer to support

REACH registration:
– Monomer is demonstrated to be safe
– REACH registration completed 2013

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 Recycling

 Goal: find the optimal end-of-life solution for PEF polymer

– Close collaboration with recycling community and partners

 End goal: PEF to PEF recycling:

– Mechanical recycling: demonstrated (similar to PET)
– Chemical recycling: demonstrated PEF depolymerization
– Conducting sorting trials at PET recyclers
– Conducting trials of potential effects of PEF in rPET streams

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Why is PEF attractive for brand owners

‘Why is PEF, a Next Gen Polymer Interesting?’

Cost benefit
Potential to reduce need for expensive barrier technologies and
light weighting

Consumer benefit
More packaging choices; longer shelf life

Environmental benefit
Reduction in carbon footprint

Supply Chain benefit

Different sourcing options from biobased feedstock; retrofit in
non-economic assets

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YXY Technology
Road to Commercialization

Pilot Plant scale Commercial scale Industrial scale

On stream On stream 2018 On stream in >2020

Name plate capacity: Name plate capacity: Name plate capacity:
5tpa PEF 5-50 ktpa >200 ktpa
Goal: prove technology Goal: commercial launch of Goal: roll-out of PEF bottles
PEF Bottle by partners through beverage markets
Owned & Operated by Own & Operate and/or Joint Licensing model for global
Avantium Venture deployment of technology

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 Avantium Business Units

Catalysis R&D New Chemistry YXY technology

systems & services project portfolio development

Profitable, cash-flow positive &
growing business
Innovative routes from biomass
to chemicals
- Lignocellulosic (2G) glucose
- Direct route to MEG from
carbohydrates
Next generation bio-based
furanic monomer and polymer
technology

19
Avantium New Chemistry Research – our vision

Hurdles for scale bio-based Theoretical yield from sugar

chemicals adoption

MEG (via Hydrogenolysis)

 Cost: inefficient (petro-based)
conversion routes

FDCA (PEF)
 Sustainability: need 2G supply
for long term sustainability

 Quality: no cost competitive

high-purity 2G-glucose available
29% 46% 67% 87% 100%

Avantium has found efficient routes from 2G feedstock

to bio-chemicals based on its leading chemical catalysis know-how
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MEKONG:
One step conversion from C6 to Bio-MEG

 PlantBottleTM program by Coca-Cola and its stated goal to

reach 100% use of Bio-MEG in all its PET bottles generates
a market of at least 1 million ton per year by 2020

 Today Bio-MEG is produced in a four-step process that was

optimized for fossil feedstock, leading to significant price
premium over petro-MEG C6 Fermentation
Dehydration
Oxidation
 Avantium has developed a one-step, highly selective Hydration
hydrogenolysis conversion from C6 sugars (cellulose, starch MEG
and glucose) to MEG, enabling high carbon efficiency (>2
MEG per C6) leading to a potential cost lower than today’s
bio- and petro-MEG price C6 Hydrogenolysis
 Avantium is open for partnering for scale-up to pilot- MEG
demonstration scale and commercial scale

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ZAMBEZI:
High purity 2G (non-food) glucose competitive with 1G

 Signficant 1G glucose is produced for use in Bio fuels,

supported by mandates and subsidies. Most 2G glucose
is not pure enough for Bio-Chemicals and not cost
competitive without incentives.

 A large market demand is building for high purity 2G-

glucose for various bio-materials and chemical
intermediates

 Avantium has further developed proven high-acid/low-

temperature conversion of ligno-cellulose to 2G-glucose with
unprecendented purity, cost competitive with 1G-glucose,
opening up the biochemical space for large scale 2G use

 Avantium is seeking investors and partners to complete

the development and build the supply chain

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 Summary

 PEF: The Next Generation Polyester

– Superior barrier performance, mechanical- and thermal properties
– Reduced carbon footprint
– Recyclable
– Cost competitive at industrial scale

 Collaborating with The Coca-Cola Company, Danone, ALPLA, and

Wifag//Polytype to launch the first PEF packaging on the market in 2018

 New partnerships to develop applications for PEF films and PEF fibers
and other FDCA applications

 Preparation of first commercial FDCA plant ongoing

 Open to start new collaborations on bio-MEG and 2G glucose 23