AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals and Imagine Chemistry winner Renmatix to develop biomass-derived additives for paint and construction

AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals and Renmatix, a leader in the global plant-based technology movement, will jointly develop biomass-based performance additives that improve the properties of architectural paints and construction materials.

Renmatix is one of the winners of the 2017 Imagine Chemistry challenge, a programme through which AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals collaborates with startups, scale-ups, scientists and others to uncover business opportunities for sustainable chemistry.

Renmatix’s proprietary Plantrose Process utilises ‘supercritical’ water under high temperature and pressure to convert biomass into cellulosic sugars and bio-fractions, which are valuable green chemistry building blocks.

It is the first application under a joint development agreement signed by the companies to research, develop and commercialise novel products using Crysto(TM) Cellulose, a unique form of crystalline cellulose, and the newest bio-fraction isolated by Renmatix.

"I am impressed by Renmatix’s thinking and their development of a biomass conversion technology that is not only disruptive technically and economically, but also enables green chemistry," said Geert Hofman, General Manager of AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals’ Performance Additives business.

"Being able to access and work with unique cellulose materials derived from biomass fits closely with our growth strategy and innovation agenda and will give a significant sustainability advantage to our customers," Hofman said.

"We look forward to working with AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals to advance their sustainability initiatives," said Mike Hamilton, Renmatix CEO.

"This agreement is significant because it demonstrates a bright future for plant-based ingredients in the industrial materials segment, and we’re uniquely positioned to enable strong performance from biobased alternatives.

"This collaboration highlights our efforts to partner with progressive market leaders as we work to commercialise our technology for broader industrial applications," he said.

"We will work jointly with Renmatix to develop a range of novel cellulose-based materials for commercial use, ranging from improving personal care to cleaning and construction materials," said Annika Karlsson, AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals RD&I Director for, amongst others, cellulose ethers.

"This collaboration is another testament to the success of the Imagine Chemistry challenge and shows that startups, scale-ups and corporates can work together efficiently to break barriers in innovation."

The collaboration with Renmatix is the second success story of the 2017 edition of the Imagine Chemistry challenge.

Earlier this year, AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals announced that it will use watermark technology developed by FiliGrade that provides an invisible watermark for packaging.