Tier I auto giant Faurecia and Mitsubishi Chemical of Japan are joining forces to develop a bioplastic that can be used in mass production automotive interior parts.
The joint development will start by modifying Mitsubishi Chemical’s patented biomass-derived polybutylene succinate (PBS) so that it is 100% derived from renewable resources. Faurecia officials said that the driver is emerging European regulations intended to increase the recyclability of materials used in the automotive industry (85% in Europe by 2015). The regulations also call for increased use of new materials derived from natural 
resources.
BioAmber will supply bio-based succinic acid to the partnership. Under the terms of the agreement, Faurecia will hold exclusive rights to automotive applications of the specific polymers jointly developed under this project. Faurecia has already spent several years of development work with BioAmber, which it described as the leading specialist in bio-based succinic acid technology.
Nicolas Pechnyk, vice president engineering for Faurecia Interior Systems, said: “This strategic agreement with Mitsubishi Chemical will make Faurecia the first automotive equipment supplier to mass- produce a 100% bio-based plastic. We are confident about the future of this technology as a substitute for petroleum-based plastic components; indeed, it is one of the main thrusts of our strategic initiative ‘bio-attitude’.”
BioAmber’s proprietary technology combines industrial biotechnology and chemical catalysis to convert renewable feedstocks into chemicals including succinic acid and 1,4-butanediol.
Interior materials have been trending toward olefins in recent years. Faurecia’s bet on PBS is interesting, in part because of its higher cost. PBS is a synthetic aliphatic polyester with similar properties to PET. It is often blended with starch and other materials to improve economics.
Other company’s might dispute Faurecia’s statement that BioAmber is the lead player in PBS. Myriant, an American company, is building a 13,600-metric-ton-per-year plant in Louisiana. DSM and Roquette are building a 10,000-tpa plant. Kingfa operates a major plant in China. BioAmber operates a 3,000-tpa-capacity plant in France and plans to build a 17,000-metric-tpa plant in Canada next year. BioAmber is a joint venture between DNP Green Technology and ARD, a French agricultural company. Its feedstock in France is wheat.
Renewable content of currently available PBS is below 50%.
