Arkema, a leading acrylics player, and hte Aktiengesellschaft, the high throughput experimentation company, have announced the successful conclusion of a research collaboration on catalysis for glycerol to acrolein and acrylic acid conversion.

The objective of the project initiated by Arkema consisted of providing performance screening for a variety of new suitable catalysts for conversion reactions of glycerol, a biodiesel byproduct derived from biomass, to acrolein and acrylic acid. Arkema, which has already registered a number of patents in this field, opted for the services of hte’s laboratories in Heidelberg (Germany) which use a proprietary parallel testing technology to accelerate this process of exploration and evaluation, thus moving interesting catalysts more quickly from experimentation to potential commercialisation.

“ By using this high throughput approach we have been able to produce results in a matter of months. This would normally have taken over two years using conventional testing equipment,“ says Jean-Luc Dubois, Scientific Director at Arkema. “High throughput catalyst testing has put Arkema in a position of increased competitiveness, and has significantly reduced its R&D costs “.

The production of acrolein and acrylic acid from biomass processing falls in line with Arkema’s strategy to develop sustainable chemicals based in particular on more efficient processes and on the use of renewable raw materials.

“ We are confident that this joint research programme has offered Arkema a more productive way of conducting its research, with reduced development costs. We see Arkema’s decision to collaborate with hte as a further endorsement of our technology and services ,“ says Dirk Demuth, hte’s CEO.

With world-scale industrial facilities in Carling (France) and Bayport (United States), Arkema is a major player in the acrylics market and its main applications, namely paints and coatings, superabsorbents, water treatment, and the paper and textile industries.

A global chemical company and France’s leading chemicals producer, Arkema consists of three businesses: Vinyl Products, Industrial Chemicals, and Performance Products. Arkema reports sales of 5.6 billion euros. Arkema has 15,000 employees in over 40 countries and six research centers located in France, the United States and Japan. With internationally recognized brands, Arkema holds leadership positions in its principal markets.