1,4-Butanediol (BDO) is a highly versatile, water-soluble polymer used in various personal care and pharmaceutical applications. It is mainly produced by using fossil-based feedstock. However, now a days more emphasis is being placed on producing biobased BDO. It is a key chemical building block of products including polyurethanes, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMEG), polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), gamma butyrolactone (GBL) and tetrahydrofuran which further has wide range of applications.
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APPLICATIONS OF BDO:
1,4 BDO has a wide range of applications in several end-use industries including automotive, medical & pharmaceuticals, textile, footwear, electronics, plastics, among others. Major part of BDO is being used to produce Tetrahydrofuran and approximately 80% of it is used for the production of polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMEG), which in turn is used in the manufacturing of thermoplastic urethane elastomers and polyurethane fibers (spandex) and the rest is consumed either as a reaction solvent in the production of pharmaceuticals or as solvent in the manufacturing of polyvinyl chloride cement and coatings.
BDO PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES AND COMMERCIALIZATION:
The various conventional methods used by the industries to produce 1,4-butanediol are Reppe method developed by BASF based on acetylene, maleic anhydride method (Davy-McKee), butadiene-acetic acid method (Mitsubishi Chemical), propylene oxide method (Lyondell) etc. Among these methods, the Reppe process is utilized by 70% of the industries. Other than these, the newly emerged Bio-Route technology that uses plant-based feedstocks rather than petroleum-based sources is growing rapidly. Succinic Acid (Bio-Route) licensed by Davy Process Technology and Sugar (Bio-Route) licensed by Genomatica are being used by the industries like BioAmber Inc., Novamont and Cargill & Helm to produce green BDO.
With consumers demanding more sustainable green products that are biodegradable, manufacturers are now looking forward to produce more innovative, environment friendly solutions. . . .
