BioCatPolymers · Project

Turning Agricultural Waste Into Cheaper Bio-Based Rubber and Polyurethane

manufacturingPilotedTRL 6

Imagine taking leftover wood chips and crop waste — stuff nobody wants — and turning it into the same rubber and foam materials that go into car tires and mattresses. Right now those materials come from oil. This project built a two-step process: first, microbes ferment the biomass sugars into a key building block, then chemical catalysts convert it into ready-to-use monomers. They ran it at half a ton of biomass per day and hit cost reductions of 50-70% compared to fossil-based alternatives.

By the numbers

50%

Cost reduction for bio-isoprene vs. market price

70%

Cost reduction for bio-3MPD vs. market price

0.5 ton/day

Biomass processing demonstration scale

Consortium partners

80%

Industry partners in consortium

Countries represented

The business problem

What needed solving

Rubber and polyurethane manufacturers depend on petroleum-derived monomers — isoprene and diols — whose prices swing with crude oil markets and face growing regulatory and consumer pressure to decarbonize. Switching to bio-based alternatives has historically been too expensive to compete. Companies need a cost-competitive, drop-in bio-based route that works with their existing production infrastructure.

The solution

What was built

The project built and demonstrated a complete hybrid bio-chemocatalytic production line at 0.5 ton/day scale: biomass pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, microbial fermentation to mevalonolactone, catalytic conversion to bio-isoprene or bio-3MPD, and purification to polymer-grade quality. A web-based environmental footprinting tool was also developed to assess sustainability impacts.

Audience

Who needs this

Tire manufacturers seeking bio-based isoprene rubberPolyurethane foam and insulation producers targeting green materialsChemical companies wanting to produce bio-monomers from waste biomassBiorefinery operators looking for high-value product streamsAutomotive OEMs with sustainable supply chain mandates

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Tire and rubber manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Tire manufacturers and rubber product companies seeking bio-based raw materials

If you are a tire or rubber products manufacturer dealing with volatile petroleum prices and growing pressure to use sustainable materials — this project developed a process to produce bio-isoprene from agricultural waste at 50% cost reduction compared to average market prices. The bio-isoprene drops directly into your existing production lines with no equipment changes needed.

Polyurethane and coatings

mid-size

Target: Polyurethane foam, insulation, and coatings producers

If you are a polyurethane manufacturer struggling with fossil-feedstock dependence and sustainability targets — this project demonstrated production of bio-based 3-methyl 1,5-pentanediol (3MPD) at 70% cost reduction. 3MPD is a direct monomer for polyurethane production, compatible with your existing infrastructure for making foams, coatings, and adhesives.

Bio-based chemicals

any

Target: Chemical companies and biorefinery operators looking to diversify into bio-monomers

If you are a chemical company or biorefinery operator looking to produce high-value chemicals from low-cost residual biomass — this project validated the entire value chain from lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment through fermentation and catalytic conversion at 0.5 ton biomass per day scale. The hybrid bio-chemocatalytic process was demonstrated with 10 partners across 7 countries.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

How much cheaper is this compared to petroleum-based production?

The project targeted 50% cost reduction for bio-isoprene and 70% cost reduction for 3MPD compared to average market prices. These targets were set based on optimizing the full process chain from biomass pretreatment through purification to polymer-grade quality.

At what scale has this been demonstrated?

The process was demonstrated at 0.5 ton of biomass per day. This is a pilot-demonstration scale that validates the entire value chain — from biomass pretreatment and hydrolysis through fermentation, catalytic conversion, and purification to polymer-grade monomers.

Who owns the IP and how can I license the technology?

The consortium of 10 partners across 7 countries developed this technology under an EU Innovation Action. IP is likely shared among key partners including the coordinator CERTH (Greece). Contact the consortium through the project website at biocatpolymers.eu for licensing discussions.

Can I use this with my existing polymer production equipment?

Yes, that is a core design feature. Both bio-isoprene and bio-3MPD are designed as drop-in replacements that can be processed in existing infrastructure for fossil-based polymers, producing elastomers and polyurethanes respectively without equipment modification.

What kind of biomass feedstock does this require?

The process uses low-quality residual lignocellulosic biomass — agricultural and forestry waste that has limited competing uses. The pretreatment step converts this biomass into sugars that feed the fermentation process.

Is this technology ready for commercial deployment?

The project ran from 2018 to 2021 as an Innovation Action and demonstrated the full value chain at 0.5 ton/day scale. Based on available project data, additional engineering and scale-up would be needed before full commercial production, but the core process has been validated at pilot scale.

Consortium

Who built it

The BioCatPolymers consortium is unusually industry-heavy: 8 out of 10 partners come from industry, with 6 being SMEs. This 80% industry ratio across 7 countries (Switzerland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, UK) signals that this was built for commercialization, not just academic publication. The coordinator is CERTH, the Greek national research center, providing scientific backbone while industry partners drove the applied work. Only 1 research organization and 1 other-type partner round out the team. For a potential business partner, this means the technology was developed with manufacturing realities in mind and there are multiple industry players already familiar with the process who could become technology providers or co-developers.

ETHNIKO KENTRO EREVNAS KAI TECHNOLOGIKIS ANAPTYXISCoordinator · EL
COVESTRO DEUTSCHLAND AGparticipant · DE
KEUKEN & DE KONING BVthirdparty · NL
BIOPROCESS PILOT FACILITY BVparticipant · NL
SEKAB E-TECHNOLOGY ABparticipant · SE
Quantis Sarlparticipant · CH
QUANTIS SRLthirdparty · IT
PROCESS DESIGN CENTER BVparticipant · NL

How to reach the team

CERTH (Ethniko Kentro Erevnas kai Technologikis Anaptyxis), Greece — contact via project website or SciTransfer can facilitate introduction

Order a report on this consortium See ETHNIKO KENTRO EREVNAS KAI TECHNOLOGIKIS ANAPTYXIS profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore licensing bio-isoprene or bio-3MPD production technology? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the right consortium partner for your specific application.

Order a report on this topic More in Manufacturing & Industry 4.0