Metabolix, a bioscience company, has signed a joint development contract with CJ CheilJedang, a producer of fermentation-based products, to commercialize the renewable C4 chemicals through fermentation.
Based on the agreement, both the companies will jointly work to advance production technology and evaluate investment opportunities for commercializing the C4 chemicals.
The C4 chemicals have several applications, including semiconductor manufacturing, personal care products, fibers and fabrics and engineering plastics. The C4 chemical industry is worth $3 billion and grows at a rate of 4% per year.
CJ CheilJedang will provide fermentation capability and assets to create pilot samples of dried whole fermentation broth with raw C4 chemicals. Metabolix will enhance its FAST recovery process, an economical and energy-efficient method to produce high-purity C4 chemicals from whole fermentation broth.
In addition to technology enhancement, both the companies will perform a comprehensive market and economic analysis to find investment options to commercialize C4 chemicals. They expect that the initial market entry will be through gamma butyrolactone (GBL), which will be followed by growth into polyester engineering resins (PBT), tetrahydrofuran (THF) and butanediol (BDO).
CJ CheilJedang’s subsidiary, CJ BIO operates large-scale fermentation plants in Brazil, Indonesia and China. These facilities along with new potential locations will be utilized as production bases for C4 chemical products based on Metabolix’s process technology.