Bio-based PA 6 enters pre-commercial production stage

Italian company Aquafil and longtime partner California-based biotech company Genomatica (Geno) have successfully completed the first demonstration-scale production of bio-based PA

The two companies first collaborated in January 2020 to produce the world's first bio-based PA 6 precursors on a pilot scale, and in November of the same year reached an agreement to build a demonstration-scale facility at Aquafil's Slovenian facility to produce renewable Source of PAIn May 2022, Aquafil announced a further collaboration with Geno to build a demonstration plant at the Aquafil SLO plant to test the technical feasibility of producing biocaprolactam, the most important intermediate in the production of PA 6, on a pre-industrial scale, planned for 2022 Half-yearly sta.

Giulio Bonazzi, CEO of Aquafil, said: "The world needs to take every possible measure to achieve a sustainable supply chain, and bio-based nylon is an essential part of th.

The companies say they have produced the first plant-based caprolactam in Slovenia, converted it into PA 6 polymer, and are now evaluating it for nylon applications such as textile yarns, carpets and engineering plasti.

These materials will go into the hands of leading global brands and their value chain partners eager to explore and develop renewable products, create display merchandise, and test feedback with custome.

Christophe Schilling, CEO of Geno, said: “Now more than ever, global brands are taking action to incorporate sustainable materials into their produc.