Biotechnology company Genomatica, based in San Diego, has recently produced the world’s first renewably-sourced ton of the key ingredient for nylon-6, made from plants instead of crude oil. Jessica Owen finds out more.
Eighty years after nylon’s first commercial production, clean manufacturing technology leader Genomatica has now achieved a new milestone for the material — its production of the world’s first renewably-sourced ton of the key ingredient for nylon-6, made from plants instead of crude oil.
Nylon, the first totally synthetic fibre to be made into consumer products including apparel and carpets, is responsible for an estimated 60 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year through traditional production, which begins with crude oil.
Now, thanks to Genomatica’s innovation, alongside partner and major European nylon producer Aquafil, the company will reportedly produce 100% renewably-sourced nylon that delivers equivalent performance to the conventional nylon that touches millions of people’s lives, but with lower environmental impact.
“DuPont’s landmark production of nylon 80 years ago introduced a highly versatile staple material to the apparel, textile and engineering product industries,” says Christophe Schilling, CEO of Genomatica.
“It’s a terrific material, and now, with the power of biotechnology, we can reinvent where it comes from. This is a major step forward in offering a new, more sustainable future with a better nylon for the full range of industries it serves.”
Genomatica’s technology to make a naturally sourced nylon, recently recognised as a special mention in TIME’s Best Inventions, is made possible by fermentation — similar to making beer.
The company has engineered a microorganism and production process that ferments the sugars found in plants to make the chemical intermediate for nylon-6. This milestone is said to mark Genomatica’s successful scaling of this process to produce one ton of the intermediate. The chemical is then converted into nylon-6 polymer chips and yarn by Aquafil in Slovenia.
“The plants Genomatica uses as feedstocks for chemicals are those that are commonly available in the region in which we or our partners produce biobased chemicals,” adds Steve Weiss, who heads up Genomatica’s marketing team.
“In doing so, we can help local farmers and avoid transportation costs — another way we’re supporting sustainability efforts. Of course, the plants we use in Europe will likely be different than those in South-east Asia or in the US, but for example, could include things such as sugar beets, cassava or corn. The sugars from those plants are fermented to make the chemical intermediate for nylon-6 in this case.”
The whole point of this new process is to be as efficient as possible, and so only a small quantity of plants is required. For example, Weiss says that only a couple pounds of sugar is needed to make one pound of the chemical that makes nylon, and a pound of nylon goes a long way.
“Different plants have different amounts of sugar in them. For example, there’s a lot in sugarcane, but less in agricultural waste like corn stalks,” he adds.
And when it comes to production, Genomatica reckons that when its bio-nylon technology is commercially ready, the first plant will be able to produce around 30,000-100,000 tons per year. Although this is a relatively small amount compared to the five million tons of man-made nylon-6 that is currently produced each year, it is still a considerable milestone for sustainability.
Scalability is always the main issue when it comes to developing new fibres and manufacturing processes. However, Genomatica has already taken two other bio-products to genuine commercial scale already and therefore seems to know what the secret is.
“To make any new technology work at industrial scale, and to deliver great quality at competitive costs — the devil is in the detail,” says Weiss.
“There are subtleties in converting chemicals to nylon, for example. Aquafil has significant expertise in nylon production, which has been extremely helpful. On the Genomatica side, our big technology achievements in the past year have been overcoming key challenges on the biology side, largely tied to getting the microbe to produce well.”
Aside from the fact that the company’s nylon is plant-based, it is also recyclable at the end of its life, which contributes to a circular system.
Global partners have played a key role in accelerating Genomatica’s bio-nylon programme. Aquafil has already been mentioned, but it was the first to join, bringing funding support and nylon-related chemical, quality and market expertise. Additionally, Project EFFECTIVE, a consortium with 12 partners including major brands such as H&M, Vaude, Carvico and Balsan, was formed to drive the production of more sustainable bio-based fibres for widely-used consumer products made from renewable feedstocks.
“Around 95% of Americans think sustainability is a good goal and we’re seeing consumers demand more sustainable products,” adds Schilling. “Our technology provides brands with a solution to meet this consumer demand for better-sourced products.”
With this in mind, the team at Genomatica is currently working with brands on partnerships, ‘so stay tuned on that front’, says Weiss.
Source: www.wtin.com