“Succinic acid from maleic anhydride sells for €2.50-
4.00 ($3.50 - 5.50) per kilo,” he said. “In comparison we
can sell biosuccinic, which is the same molecule, at a very
competitive price.”
DSM NeoResins already envisages marketing coatings
resins with biosuccinic-derived polyesters. DSM also
expects biosuccinate to be a component of composites for
coatings. It can also be used to make biosolvents, plasti-
cizers and biopolymers in coatings and other products.

Currently DSM estimates that coatings, pigments, dyes and inks account for 11,000 tons of total annual demand of 35,000 tons of succinic acid worldwide. Once low-cost biosuccinic becomes widely available, demand for the chemical for coatings and coatings resins production could reach as high as 140,000 tons in 2020 out of a total biosuccinic consumption of around two million tons, most of which will be used to manufacture polyurethanes and 1,4-butanediol/pyrrolidones.

For DSM biosuccinic is the first in a range of major biomaterials it is planning to develop from its expertise in white biotechnology. Biosuccinic in particular has enormous potential to provide a variety of new compounds and applications in coatings and other sectors.

“It can be used in materials for which it was previously
not viable because of its cost,” said Volkert Claassen, DSM
vice president for strategy and growth options. “Instead of
succinic acid being like a niche product it will become a
commodity. This will be an impetus for a lot of innovation
work on the chemical.”
DSM and Roquette aim to decide within the next few
months on the size and location of a commercial plant for
its biosuccinic process.

The biosuccinic acid is already showing market potential when supplied in combination with Roquette’s bio-based polyols to form composites for coatings and other applications. Glucose from corn can be hydrogenated to sorbitol, which can be converted into isosorbide and other diols for which the company is raising production capacity at Lestrem to 1,000 tons next year.

In combination with biosuccinic, isosorbide can be made into a polyester which with other renewable monomers such as butanediol, propanediol and citric acid can then be extended into branched copolyesters to give even greater scope for cross-linking.

Roquette has been recently testing with customers isosorbide- and succinic-based co- and terpolyesters for powder coatings applications. “It can be applied in very thin transparent layers and has a high impact resistance,” said Rupp-Dahlem.

Nonetheless, exactly how quickly these polyester-based products and other biomaterials penetrate the European coat-

EUROPE

International Coatings Scene ings market will depend on a number of key factors, especially price trends in agricultural crops.

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