GC And Toray Develop 100% Bio-Based Nylon 6,6 Technology
PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited (GC) and Toray Industries have successfully established a first-of-its-kind manufacturing technology for 100% bio-based nylon 6,6, marking a significant step toward sustainable material innovation.
The breakthrough technology enables the production of bio-based adipic acid through the fermentation of bio-muconic acid derived from cassava pulp, an unused starch residue, and its subsequent conversion into nylon 6,6.
The development addresses growing global demand for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on fossil-based resources by utilizing renewable biomass feedstocks that do not compete with food production.
Cassava pulp, a byproduct generated during starch extraction, offers a stable and sustainable raw material source. Its utilization also minimizes the risk of indirect land use change (ILUC), supporting more responsible resource management.
The two companies conducted demonstration tests across the entire manufacturing chain, including saccharification, fermentation, refining, chemical conversion, and polymerization.
Toray demonstrated the production of glucose from cassava pulp using energy-efficient membrane separation technology, while GC successfully produced bio-muconic acid at pilot scale using its proprietary fermentation strain. Jointly developed refining technology enabled the production of high-purity bio-muconic acid, which was then converted into bio-based adipic acid.
Toray further achieved successful polymerization and fiber processing of nylon 6,6 at laboratory scale using bio-based adipic acid and bio-based hexamethylenediamine (HMDA).
Looking ahead, GC and Toray plan to scale up production of bio-muconic acid and bio-based adipic acid, with Toray targeting the commercial launch of textile products made from 100% bio-based nylon 6,6 by FY2028.
