PARIS and AMSTERDAM — January 24, 2012 — Rhodia, member of the Solvay Group, and Avantium announced
today that they have entered into a partnership to jointly develop a range of new bio-based
polyamides targeting a variety of applications. This partnership expands and completes the
previously announced development agreement in the field of bio-based engineering plastics between
Solvay and Avantium. Building on the newly combined forces of Rhodia and Solvay, the extended
relationship offers the partners a unique opportunity to explore a wide range of compositions and
applications based on Avantium’s YXY technology in the larger Polyamide field.
In the frame of this joint development, the companies will explore the market potential of
polyamide compositions on the basis of YXY building blocks. Produced from renewable and bio-based
feedstock, these compositions are expected to exhibit superior environmental profile and at the
same time to deliver applicative performances at a competitive cost. Rhodia will test these new
polyamides for fibers and engineering applications in various areas such as consumer goods,
automotive and electronic materials. Rhodia and Avantium have entered into a multi-year, exclusive
collaboration towards commercialization of these new polyamides.
“This collaboration perfectly fits with our strategy to deliver new sustainable products to
our markets, and will combine our know-how in polyamides with Avantium’s YXY technology to produce
building blocks for green materials. This open innovation partnership is inspiring for our teams
and we are confident that it will deliver breakthrough in the development of bio-based competitive
polyamides”, explained Louis Neltner, R&D Vice-President at Rhodia.
Tom van Aken, CEO of Avantium, about the new collaboration: “Rhodia is a world leading player
in the development, manufacturing and supply of polyamides. We are very pleased to work with Rhodia
on developing performing, sustainable and competitive solutions for a broad range of customers.
Together with our existing partnerships in polyamides, we are now completely covering all
application areas for polyamides on basis of our green building blocks.”
* YXY (pronounced icksy) is Avantium’s brand name of a family of green building blocks for
making materials and fuels that can compete on both price and performance with oil based
alternatives, and which have a superior environmental footprint. Based on Avantium’s patented
catalytic technology to convert biomass into furanic building blocks, YXY can be implemented in
existing chemical production assets.
Posted on February 1, 2012
Source: Avantium
