This document discusses biobased materials research at Battelle. It provides an overview of using biobased feedstocks as alternatives to petroleum, including a history of bioproducts, the need for biobased alternatives, and critical components of biobased development. It also examines Battelle's research into using soybeans and glycerin from biodiesel production as biobased feedstocks and developing applications for these materials.

1. Biobased Materials Research
History of Bioproducts
Biobased materials are not necessarily new.
Mother nature provided our first biobased
materials: (cotton, lacquers, rubber, wood)
The advent of synthetic polymer chemistry
allowed us to prepare new materials from
petroleum feedstocks which would be cheap
with tailored functionality. We able to make
things only limited by our imagination.
Now we are looking back to nature for our
materials. We have a better understanding
and appreciation of biobased feedstocks with
the ready availability of chemical
characterization that allows us to use these
biobased feedstocks in place of petroleum
building blocks.
BUSINESS SENSITIVE 1

2. Biobased Materials Research
The Need for Alternatives
• To meet future
demand of chemicals
& materials, biobased
resources will
compliment the
existing petroleum
supplies.
• Currently, biobased
materials for product
use is very low (~2%).
• In the future this is
projected to be much
more significant
(~50%).
BUSINESS SENSITIVE 2

3. Biobased Materials Research
Critical Components of Biobased Development
Feedstock Technology Application
• Cost • Chemistry/ • Market
• Availability Engineering • Improved
• driven by need to Convert Performance
• coproduct of Feedstock
another process
BUSINESS SENSITIVE 3

4. Biobased Materials Research
Bioproduct Success Factors
• The success of new
biobased materials
relies upon the three
factors: Economics
-price
• Economics & -market
Performance are
generally required Performance
elements. Success often means matching/
Factors exceeding petroleum
• Environmental version
aspects are
typically valued as
added benefit.
Environmental
Issues
-sustainability
-health
BUSINESS SENSITIVE 4

5. Biobased Materials Research
Soybeans: Chemical Building Blocks
Soybean Feedstock
• Protein
• Oil
• Carbohydrates
Coatings Toners Adhesives Foams Additives Lubricants
-Paints -Polyurethane -Soft -Polyols
-Powder -PF/UF -Rigid -Plasticizers
Coatings -Pigment Dispersants
-Acrylate PSA’s -Processing Aids
-Extenders -Fillers
BUSINESS SENSITIVE 5

6. Biobased Materials Research
Development Philosophies
Petrochemical Drop-In Novel Biobased Chemicals
• Break a biobased feedstock all • Selectively functionalize or
the way down to a petro-derived simplify a biobased feedstock to
molecule create a useful chemical
• More chemical transformations • Fewer chemical transformation
needed needed
• No application development • More application development
needed (ready market) needed
• No ability to use novel • Many times unique products
properties of biobased molecule functions are discovered
BUSINESS SENSITIVE 6

7. Biobased Materials Research
Petroleum Refinery vs. Biorefinery
• Petroleum enters a
refinery as crude oil &
exits as various
products – the
majority as fuels & the
remainder as specialty
chemicals.
• Something similar is
needed for a
“biorefinery” where a
biobased feedstock is
harvested and then is
broken out into
various products.
BUSINESS SENSITIVE 7

8. Biobased Materials Research
Biorefinery: Biodiesel Production
• Biodiesel production
results in Glycerin as
a main co-product.
• Biodiesel expansion
will flood markets with
a large, low-cost
supply glycerin.
soybeans biodiesel + glycerin
(coproduct)
BUSINESS SENSITIVE 8

9. Biobased Materials Research
Biorefinery: Biodiesel Production
• Biodiesel production glycerin
biodiesel (coproduct)
results in Glycerin as
a main co-product.
• Biodiesel expansion
will flood markets with
a large, low-cost
supply glycerin.
soy meal soy oil
soybeans
BUSINESS SENSITIVE 9

10. Biobased Materials Research
Biorefinery: Biodiesel Production
• Effectively utilizing
glycerin for value- glycerin
added applications will
further support
(co-product)
biobased products
from soybeans.
BUSINESS SENSITIVE01

11. Biobased Materials Research
Biorefinery: Biodiesel Production
• Battelle has been foams adhesives coatings
successful in developing
two R&D100 award
winning technologies
based on glycerin:
- de-icing fluid
- reactive polyol
which can be used in de-icing fluid polyol
foams, coatings &
adhesives glycerin
BUSINESS SENSITIVE11

12. Biobased Materials Research
Commercialization Model
DISCOVERY DEVELOPMENT COMMERCIALIZATION
Technology Product Marketing Manufacture,
R&D Scale-Up Development Sales, & Distribution
Development Development & Service
Plan Marketing
$250K – $750K – $2M– $10M– $100M–
$1.5M $2M $10M $100M $500M
Battelle + Farmer Advocacy Groups
Battelle + Licensees
Licensees
BUSINESS SENSITIVE21