Exploring the Bio-based Materials Sector: 2,5-Furandicarboxylic Acid (FDCA)

Production process of FDCA: 2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is a bio-based chemical with great potential for development. FDCA can be used to prepare various polymers, such as polyesters, polyamides, polyurethanes, etc. As early as 2004, the U.S. Department of Energy identified 12 representative bio-based platform compounds from over 300 compounds derived from biomass. Among them, FDCA is a representative of aromatic bio-based platform chemicals and is considered the most suitable substitute for petroleum-derived terephthalic acid (PTA). The synthetic routes for FDCA mainly include the 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) route, the hexanedioic acid route, the furfural route, and the diglycolic acid route. Among them, the HMF route receives the most attention; significant progress has been made, and it is expected to be the first to achieve industrial production. The HMF route is generally divided into a two-step method and a one-step method: the two-step method involves first dehydrating sugars to obtain HMF, separating and purifying HMF, and then oxidizing it to produce FDCA. The one-step method involves the dehydration of sugars to produce HMF, which is then oxidized directly without separation to yield the target product FDCA.

In the global market, many companies are researching FDCA, and research in this field in our country is also advancing steadily, with the technical level reaching the same level as that of international giants. The key special project on \"Advanced Structures and Composite Materials\" under China’s 14th Five-Year Plan’s **Key R&D Program** calls for the development of methods for producing low-cost bio-based engineering plastics, and FDCA is included in this scope. Abroad, Avantium is the most active company in the FDCA sector. In 2016, the company established a joint venture with BASF named Synvina to advance the commercialization of the YXY technology (FDCA production technology). Later, due to disagreements over the timing of FDCA’s production start, BASF withdrew from the joint venture, and Avantium acquired its shares. In December 2021, Avantium announced its final investment decision: to build a FDCA plant with an annual production capacity of 5,000 tons in 2023. Domestically, some representative FDCA companies have secured large-scale financing in recent years. A representative company in this field is LifeBio, which is a key project for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements from the University of Science and Technology of China; it has already established a FDCA production line with a capacity of thousands of tons. In 2023, Liv Bio-based completed a Series B financing round worth nearly 200 million yuan. The funds from this round were primarily used for the industrial production of furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and the construction of production lines with an annual capacity of 10,000 tons. It is reported that Liv Biotech has developed a production process for FDCA using non-grain biomass sugars as raw materials. The 10,000-ton FDCA production line is scheduled to begin construction at the end of 2023, with full operation set to start in 2025.

In 2022, Zhongke Guosheng completed a Pre-A round of financing worth nearly 100 million yuan; the funds will be primarily used to expand the production capacity of its key product line items, namely 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), and 2,5-dimethylfuran-2,5-diol (THFDM), as well as to continue the development of downstream derivatives. Zhongke Guosheng developed a continuous production process; its technology for producing HMF and FDCA from fructose has attracted attention in the industry. Unlike traditional batch production using reactors, this approach yields FDCA with high purity, thereby significantly increasing the conversion rate of FDCA. Following the delivery of the company’s first ton-scale FDCA order in May 2022, several more ton-scale FDCA orders were delivered subsequently. The thousand-ton production line of Zhongke Guosheng had its foundation-laying ceremony held in Taixing, Jiangsu, on July 30, 2022, with operations expected to begin in 2023. Liv Biotech-FDCA and Jiangsu Sairike completed an angel round of financing in 2022 amounting to tens of millions of yuan; the funds from this round will be primarily used for expanding the team, carrying out further research and development, as well as establishing patent holdings on an international scale. Jiangsu Sairike has broken through the technical route that uses glucose as a raw material and glucaric acid as an intermediate. The company states that glucose, as a raw material source, is more abundant than fructose used in competing technical approaches, and its price is much lower ； Furthermore, the conversion efficiency of Sirec’s technical approach is very high; less than 2 tons of glucose are required to produce 1 ton of FDCA ； More importantly, the continuous production process developed by Cerik for converting glucose into FDCA is compatible with the existing PTA production processes, which means that in the future Cerik can acquire an existing PTA plant, modify it, and then switch to producing FDCA. According to the calculations by the Cerik team, when the production capacity of FDCA reaches 500,000 tons per year, their technical approach and production processes can reduce the production cost of FDCA to below 10,000 yuan per ton – a level that is fully competitive with that of PTA, especially when the price of crude oil is above 60 dollars per barrel.

Bio-based PEF FDCA is considered the most suitable substitute for petroleum-derived terephthalic acid (PTA). PTA is a petroleum-based organic synthesis intermediate, primarily used to synthesize polyethylene terephthalate (PET). PET is a common polyester material that is widely used in the packaging industry; it can also be applied in fields such as electronics and electrical equipment, automobiles, healthcare, and construction. PET can be degraded under specific conditions, but it is difficult to degrade under natural conditions; its degradation products include acetaldehyde, carbon dioxide, etc., which can cause harm to the environment. PEF prepared using FDCA as the monomer exhibits superior mechanical properties, high-temperature resistance, and gas barrier properties compared to PET, and it is also more environmentally friendly. It holds promise as a substitute for PET in food packaging applications, and can also be used in industries such as electronics, home appliances, automobiles, and clothing and textiles. PEF is a new generation of polyester; due to its high environmental and safety benefits, it holds even broader market prospects, especially in the packaging industry. Bio-based polyurethane adhesives: In 2023, Henkel signed a five-year supply agreement with Avantium, under which Avantium will supply Henkel with FDCA produced at its FDCA flagship plant (currently under construction in Delfzijl, the Netherlands). Henkel has tested and actively evaluated the feasibility of using FDCA in polyurethane adhesives. By purchasing Avantium’s 100% plant-based FDCA, Henkel will be able to introduce innovative, high-performance polyurethane adhesives for electronic applications, enabling its customers to achieve their sustainability goals. Henkel stated that the use of FDCA in polyurethane adhesives for electronic applications is just the beginning; through further collaboration, opportunities in other application areas such as packaging, wooden structures, or textile laminating will be explored.