Relement B.V., a technology company focused on renewable chemistry, announces that it has selected Solvay Research & Innovation Centre with the help of Dutch impact investor Invest-NL, to carry out process optimization work. Solvay R&IC will assist with the scale-up of its proprietary product 3-methylphthalic anhydride (bio MPA). Relement has received support from Invest-NL for this scale-up work, which is a key milestone to become production ready.

Relement offers a disruptive, renewable chemical ingredient called bio MPA (3-methyl phthalic anhydride). Bio MPA has the unique ability to replace the fossil ingredient phthalic anhydride in coatings, to make coatings more sustainable. In addition, bio MPA offers improved properties such as increased hardness of coatings. Coating customers have expressed interest to purchase bio MPA once the product becomes commercially available.   

Relement CTO Stefano Iannacone explains “Carrying out process optimization studies are important milestones for bio MPA commercialization. In the chemical world, innovative start-ups like Relement often encounter financial hurdles to scale-up their production process. Typically, a pilot facility is needed which requires significant capital investment and resources. To minimize risks and to speed up our technology scale-up, we have therefore scouted the chemical innovation landscape and found that several large chemical companies have R&D assets and know how open for external selected collaborations. We believe that Solvay R&IC Lyon is a great partner to assist Relement in our journey towards commercial scale.”

Invest-NL Business Developer Guus Dubbink adds: “We helped Relement to develop an innovative new business model helping to overcome the first financial hurdles, based on outsourcing the demonstration step. Invest-NL supports Relement in its mission to commercialize and scale-up production. Furthermore, the learnings will be shared to the bio-based chemistry community, thereby helping similar Dutch start-ups. 

Solvay is a science company whose technologies bring benefits to many aspects of daily life. The Group seeks to create sustainable shared value for all, notably through its Solvay One Planet roadmap crafted around three pillars: protecting the climate, preserving resources and fostering a better life. As stated by Grégory Landelle, Organic Chemistry and Process Development Lab Manager, "the mission of Solvay Research and Innovation Center of Lyon is to invent and design materials of the future, products and processes with the lowest environmental footprint during industrial production and consumer (re)use.

The Center is also actively engaged with external partners sharing the same values, with the aim of accompanying innovation actors in the development and scale-up of their products/processes. Relement, like Solvay, develops sustainable solutions based on innovative technologies using renewable products from biomass. Solvay is glad to support Relement in its development of bio MPA '', he concludes.

Are you interested in testing bio MPA in your application? Do you want to learn more about the bio MPA scale-up journey? Please contact Stefano Iannacone, CTO at Relement : stefano.iannacone@relement.eu