Blogopmaak

Relement in spotlight during launch agenda for green chemistry, new economy at EnZuid

March 16, 2021

"It's possible! Transforming into a fossil-free industry by 2050. This option is more relevant than ever. Within "Green chemistry, new economy", the large chemical companies, SMEs, start-ups, financial institutions and governments are taking this seriously. Starting from the three chemical clusters in the south of the Netherlands, with parties from the rest of the Netherlands and across borders. Not by managing the probable, but by guiding the possible. We are working on upscaling innovations, which are preferably first demonstrated at the industrial complexes in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, Moerdijk and Geleen and then also exported to the world market. ”

Arnold Stokking, Managing Director Brightsite and driver of "Green chemistry, new economy"


The action agenda "Green chemistry, new economy" focuses on the accelerated greening of the process industry; starting in the south of the Netherlands. The ambition is to replace substantial quantities of crude oil by recycled and biobased raw materials by 2025, in addition to the use of green electricity-based processes. By upscaling innovations, the industry contribute to the climate goals and new employment.One of the nine upscaling innovations mentioned in the this action agenda are the bio-aromatics from Relement. For that reason Roger Blokland, CEO at Relement has been interviewed to share his vision


Interview Roger Blokland for EnZuid / Groenechemie.nl

Relement, enormous potential of functional bio-aromatics

“Relement, a spin-off from TNO, created from the Biorizon shared research center, stands for 'Renewable Element', says Roger Blokland, Founder and Managing Director of Relement BV. Aromatics are the building blocks for the chemical industry. 40% of the chemical materials are aromatics. But it is also a bottleneck for the chemical industry, because aromatics are not really biobased yet. We are changing this and making bio-aromatics from biomass residues. Consider, for example, sugar beet pulp and corn on the cob that are left behind when you remove the grains. This hemicellulose is the basis of our bio-aromatics. These are valuable compounds that ensure the strength of materials such as paint, insulation materials and special lubricants, such as those used in industrial ovens. ”

Phase
“We do a lot of tests with customers. For the next phase of upscaling in the coating market, we have formed a project consortium with raw material suppliers, paint manufacturers and users in the south of the Netherlands. We have previously run a number of Proof of Concept projects in collaboration with Biorizon.

Our first launching customers come from the coating market, followed by the lubricants. The first results are satisfying. Our customers are very positive, may of them see our bio-aromatics performing better than currently used fossil products. What exactly? For example, the coating is harder, but also more UV-stable. While the lubricants last longer. ”




Upscaling of product

“We currently still work on a limited, specialty chemistry scale. But bio-aromatics have enormous potential, involving hundreds of billions of euros. We are starting with a "specific obtainable market that still accounts for 2.5 billion euros." Unfortunately, "more expensive" and "more sustainable" do not always go together. We must therefore move towards a scale that will lower the price. Only when sustainable products have a good price, offer a better performance and are also sustainable, will companies join in. And that is exactly what Relement aims for. ”


Chain formation, financing and policy?

“Perhaps what bother us the most: the lack of legislation. Unlike other sectors, the chemical industry does not yet have a legal framework for sustainability. The expectation is that this will now change.


Financing, and in particular seed money for the first phase, is also very difficult. Why? We are aiming for the transition of chemicals production which requires a long lead time. And that is less attractive for capital funds. They prefer a return of investment within a few years. There is interest, but structuring the financing funds does not always allow for this.


In addition, the price is an obstacle. As long as fossil products are very cheap, the chemical industry will not always change towards sustainable products. The oil industry has also been optimized over decades to such an extent that it is hardly possible to compete against it by starting companies with sustainable technology.


Solutions and contribution to Action Agenda "Green chemistry, new economy"

“Legislation requiring sustainability in terms of sustainability requirements would accelerate the transition enormously. In addition, the financing issue: seed money for the 1st phase. Parties such as Invest-NL are working to increase the availability of seed capital in Deep Tech, seed money is really necessary for sustainable start-ups in green chemistry.


Regarding chain formation: we are in contact with several companies. These represent complete valuechain, for example, bio-refineries as raw material suppliers and coating manufacturers as buyers. Entrepreneurs in sustainable chemistry can help and stimulate each other enormously. A network is important.



A very good analysis has been done for the Action Agenda, it will certainly help! I am also very pleased that it provides insight into the scope of green chemistry.


Whether you are talking about your mobile phone, your keyboard or desktop: there are aromatics in everything. But nobody knows!


What we see is that everyone is of good will. We all want to move towards a new and more sustainable chemical industry. Relement is eager to contribute to this necessary transition. ”



Read more (Dutch) here on groenechemie.nl

Relement contracts Allessa for production bio MPA

By roger.blokland • December 19, 2024
Relement team is happy to announce we have contracted Allessa GmbH in Germany, to initiate industrial-scale production of our launching product bio MPA (3-methylphthalic anhydride). The first ton-scale production campaign is planned for late 2025, targeting commercial market introduction of bio MPA. For the production of bio MPA standard chemical unit operations are needed. Allessa (part of Weylchem Group) has extensive expertise and capabilities in chemical contract manufacturing that will ensure efficient large-scale production of bio MPA while upholding Relement’ high standards for quality and sustainability. Relement’ outsourcing strategy reduces time-to-market significantly compared to building our own flagship plant. We are impressed with Allessa’s capabilities and professionalism, which are a good fit with Relement’ needs. Furthermore, the close distance between Allessa and our largest customers will further facilitate logistics and communication. We are excited about the next step for our company. We are building a world scale, sustainable valuable chemical ingredients business. Our unique bio aromatic ingredients improve sustainability and product performance for e.g. coatings, adhesives and composite materials. For more information please contact our CTO Stefano Iannacone: stefano.iannacone@relement.eu

Pre-order bio MPA from our 2025 production

December 17, 2024
Relement has contracted Alessa GmbH as Contract Manufacturing Organisation. Ton-scale production will start of our launching product bio MPA at ton-scale in 2025. It is possible to pre-order sample material now to start a labscreening or a pilot. Also, offtake agreements can be negotiated. Please indicate to us the volume bio MPA you would like to purchase in 2025 to boost the sustainability ánd performance of your products. Fill in the form below:

Relement and Worlée sign offtake agreement

December 17, 2024
Relement is pleased to announce the signing of an offtake agreement with Worlée Chemie GmbH, a leading German chemical company. The agreement secures a fixed volume of bio MPA, a novel high performance biobased ingredient for use in coating resins . Bio MPA, our launching product, is scheduled for ton-scale production by late 2025 via contract manufacturing. This innovative material is designed to replace fossil-based components in alkyd resins, offering improved sustainability alongside performance benefits. Over the past four years, Relement and Worlée have worked closely to integrate bio MPA into coating resins, achieving results such as enhanced hardness, lower viscosity for reduced solvent use, faster drying times, and improved gloss. Worlée plans to introduce a range of alkyd resins featuring bio MPA to selected European coating formulators. The agreement also sets the stage for further development of resins aimed at a wider range of applications, underlining both companies’ commitment to sustainable innovation in the coatings industry. Joachim Freude, Managing director at Worlée Chemie, commented: “We are delighted to introduce new biobased alkyd resins on the market that will allow our customers to create more sustainable coatings without compromising on quality. Bio MPA is a key step toward replacing fossil-based ingredients in our formulations.” We are very excited to expand our partnership with Worlée, it is an important milestone. It brings us closer to the commercialization of bio MPA and demonstrates the value of strong partnerships in building a sustainable, biobased value chain. We are proud to work with Worlée to meet the growing demand for greener and more efficient products. For more information please contact our CCO Monique wekking: monique.wekking@relement.eu 

Bio MPA in polyols for PUR and PIR foams

December 9, 2024
Relement has successfully integrated bio MPA (biobased 3-methylphthalic anhydride) in a (polyester, polyether) polyol for use in polyurethane (PUR) and polyisocyanurate (PIR) rigid foams. Such foams are often used as insulation material in buildings.  Since there is more attention for sustainable building materials and energy conservation measures, increasing the biobased content of such materials is of interest. Petrochemical phthalic anhydride is often used as an ingredient in aromatic, rigid PUR and PIR foam. Relement’s launching product bio MPA can be used as a biobased substitute and performance enhancer. Due to steric hindrance of the additional methyl group in bio MPA compared to phthalic anhydride, it is expected that bio MPA based insulation foams will be more rigid, improving the compressive and tensile properties and increasing the glass transition temperature. In collaboration with Avans Applied University in the Netherlands, Relement successfully synthesized basic polyester polyols with bio MPA.

Relement won a Tech Tour Bio-Based Industries 2024 Award

November 21, 2024
Relement is honored and grateful to be among the winners of the Tech Tour Bio-Based Industries 2024 Award. The Tech Tour event highlighted >30 selected companies at the forefront of bio-based innovation, chosen through a rigorous selection process led by a panel of active investors. Our CEO Roger Blokland was on site to present our activities. He pitched about transforming sustainable biomass residues into high-performance bio-aromatics for coatings, adhesives, and materials, offering a renewable alternative to fossil-based ingredients while also enhancing product performance. The expert jury acknowledged Relement as one of the companies that is setting new benchmarks in sustainability, circular materials, and green technology. The Tech Tour Bio-based Industries 2024 event was co-organized by Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) and co-hosted by Circular Valley and City of Wuppertal, as well as supported by partners like Bayer, DWNRW, ZAZ Ventures, and Shaping Bio. Of course, we would also like to congratulate the other winners: Arda Biomaterials, Blue Ocean Closures, Mevaldi, Origin by Ocean, Quorium and SenseUP Biotechnology.

Collaboration project with Fontys University of Applied Sciences completed

July 1, 2024
Relement has completed its first collaboration project with Fontys University of Applied Sciences, Eindhoven (The Netherlands). During a 18 months period, a team of teachers and 21 students worked on alkyd coating research based on Relement’ launching product bio MPA. To accelerate the research, coating experts Joost van Dijk (Puroc) and Henk van den Haak (Resinconsult) advised the students with experimental setup and formulation work. A wealth of knowledge has been created supporting the commercial use of bio MPA in performance alkyd coatings. The Relement team enjoyed the project and is convinced about the effectiveness of collaborative applied research. We are thankful with at least 21 new ambassadors for sustainable chemistry! This project is partially funded with subsidy from KIEM GoChem, a joint subsidy program from the Dutch Regieorgaan SIA and ChemistryNL. 

Bio MPA production process improved

June 24, 2024
Relement has contracted R&D partners to further optimize the production process for our launching product bio MPA (3-methylphthalic anhydride), enabling us to commence industrial-scale manufacturing soon. The efforts resulted in: a leaner and more robust process; increased bio MPA product recovery; reduced formation of byproducts such as humins; reduced the use of organic solvents; reduced energy requirement. After the summer, we will select a Contract Manufacturing Organisation to begin the production of our launching product bio MPA. Join us on our mission towards a greener chemical future. Get in touch if you would like to purchase bio MPA for your coating, adhesive or composite resin. For more information please contact our CTO Stefano Iannacone: Stefano.iannacone@relement.eu 

HOBUM and Relement created high performing biobased composite material

June 17, 2024
Relement achieved an important milestone by successfully demonstrating the use of our ingredient bio MPA in high-quality composite materials. Relement worked with Hobum to create this game-changing material: a high-performance, biobased composite material with a glass transition temperature of >110 degrees Celsius. Hobum aimed to develop composites parts made of plant fibres and a vegetable oil-based resins using a resin-transfer moulding process to create a bisphenol A-free product. Hobum reached out to Relement for the utilisation of our ingredient bio MPA to replace fossil-based anhydrides such as MHHPA in their resins. After 1.5 year of testing of various formulations, the partnership hit a breakthrough with a recipe based on admergenic acid (ADA), epoxidized linseed oil (ELO) and Relement’s ingredient 3-methylphthalic anhydride (bio MPA). This resulted in a prototype car interior panel part. The composite material reached the highest % biobased (85%) and the highest glass transition temperature (Tg 95-120 °C depending on catalyst and temperature). A higher Tg results in enhanced strength, stiffness and heat resistance. There is a strong demand worldwide on availability of lightweight composite materials with high performance. Bio MPA can be a gamechanger for this industry. HOBUM recently showed all technical data at their HOBUM Innovation Exchange Webinar. Please view the complete record using the link below:

Akzo Nobel entered into a collaboration with Relement

June 4, 2024
Following meetings with AkzoNobel, Relement is excited to note that AkzoNobel has been following our progress and technology development to date with interest. Relement and Akzo Nobel are working together to explore use of Relement's launching product bio MPA (3-methylphthalic anhydride) in coatings and measure the impact of our bio MPA in coating performances. Together, we have also identified a number of other opportunities that can broaden the scope of this partnership and add value in multiple areas. For more information please contact our Chief Commercial Officer Monique Wekking: monique.wekking@relement.eu

Relement part of AROMATICS consortium

December 14, 2023
We are excited to be part of the consortium AROMATICS in which 3 promising bio-aromatics production platforms will be further developed and scaled, including furfural based aromatics such as our launching product bio MPA The consortium consists of 14 partners and the entire value chain is on board including brandowners. We are looking forward to explore new applications based on bio MPA and bio HMA. AROMATICS stands for Aromatic Renewables as an Opportunity for MATerials with Improved Circularity and Sustainability and this 3-year project is performed with MOOI-funding from the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs & Climate.
More Posts
Share by: