Biobased polymers will grow twice as fast as petrochemical polymers to 2023.
Biobased polymers are a class of polymers that are manufactured from a biomass source, rather than from an oleochemical source. Although some of these types of polymers have been well known for over a century, they have not yet seen widespread application due to barriers facing production, such as cost and scale. However, thanks to innovations in synthetic biology, these polymers are becoming more affordable to manufacture, and therefore more commonly encountered. Increasing customer awareness of the climate impact of petrochemically derived polymers as well as a global shift in demand away from plastics with a lifespan of several hundreds of years has resulted in renewed focus on this previously inaccessible area. Biobased polymers can come in multiple different forms: direct, or "drop-in" replacements for their petrochemical counterparts offering near-identical properties, or entirely novel polymers that were previously inaccessible, such as polylactide, some of which offer substantially improved technical specifications compared to their alternatives.
Technology, applications and case studies
In 2018, the range of biobased polymers is hugely varied, yet disparate. Biobased Polymers 2018: A Technology and Market Perspective takes an in-depth look into the diverse range of biobased polymers, from established to nascent, providing detailed case studies of leading edge companies developing the technology, while pulling together related polymer classes. An overview of the latest tools utilised in the field of synthetic biology is provided, with focus on CRISPR, protein and organism engineering and commercial scale fermentation. Furthermore, this report cuts through the marketing hype to offer a detailed insight into some of the foremost biobased polymer companies leading global innovation and bringing potentially disruptive products to market.
Market outlook
This report provides an overview of the technological advancements in biobased polymers to date, a comprehensive insight into the drivers and restraints affecting synthesis and production at scale for all key application areas discussed and provides case studies and SWOT analyses for the most prolific disrupters developing biobased polymers. IDTechEx conducted exhaustive primary research with companies across a range of industries developing synthetic biology for key insights into the drivers and restraints affecting the growth of this technology.
Key questions that are answered in this report
- Can synthetic biology be harnessed to produce biobased polymers?
- What are the tools used to engineer cell factories for biobased polymer production?
- Who are the key players developing biobased polymers?
- What are the key drivers and restraints of market growth?
- How are traditional polymer products being disrupted by biobased polymers?
- How will biobased polymer production capacity evolve from 2018 to 2023?
- What are the investment shares of those active in the market?
Who should buy this report? Which general sectors and people making/researching what? etc.
This report is relevant to venture capitalists and private equity firms looking to invest in the latest synthetic biology start-up, several of which have been interviewed for this report.
Product manufacturers in the fast moving consumer goods industry, food and beverage industries, medical and pharmaceutical industries investigating how their products may be disrupted by synthetic biology or identifying potential collaborators/acquisition targets/competitors will also stand to benefit from purchasing this report.
All report purchases include up to 30 minutes telephone time with an expert analyst who will help you link key findings in the report to the business issues you're addressing. This needs to be used within three months of purchasing the report.
1. | EXECUTIVE SUMMARY |
1.1. | Global plastics production to grow to 485 Mt in 2028 |
1.2. | The range of biobased monomers |
1.3. | Defining "biobased polymers" |
1.4. | The four drivers for substitution |
1.5. | Drivers and restraints of market growth |
1.6. | The price of oil affects the size of the Green Premium |
1.7. | Reduced carbon dioxide emissions directives |
1.8. | Feedstock competition: food or fuel (or plastics)? |
1.9. | The filthy five: curbing single use plastics |
1.10. | Are biodegradable plastics the solution? |
1.11. | A rapidly growing but uncertain technology |
2. | INTRODUCTION: BIOBASED POLYMERS |
2.1. | Scope of the report |
2.2. | Glossary: common acronyms for reference |
2.3. | Key terms and definitions |
2.4. | Navigating biobased polymers from monosaccharides |
2.5. | Navigating biobased polymers from vegetable oils |
2.6. | Defining "biobased polymers" |
2.7. | The range of available biobased monomers |
2.8. | Social, economic and environmental megatrends |
2.9. | A rapidly growing but uncertain technology |
2.10. | Global supply of plastics has grown exponentially |
2.11. | Environmental costs: the rising tide of plastic pollution |
2.12. | Biobased value add: The Green Premium... |
2.13. | ...versus the price of Brent Crude |
2.14. | The four drivers for substitution |
3. | INTRODUCTION: ENGINEERING BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS |
3.1. | The Design and Engineering of Biological Systems |
3.2. | Manipulating the Central Dogma |
3.3. | The Scope of Synthetic Biology is Vast |
3.4. | Cell Factories for Biomanufacturing: A Range of Organisms |
3.5. | The Techniques and Tools of Synthetic Biology |
3.6. | DNA Synthesis |
3.7. | Gene Editing |
3.8. | What Exactly is CRISPR-Cas9? |
3.9. | Strain Construction and Optimization |
3.10. | Framework for Developing Industrial Microbial Strains |
3.11. | The Problem with Scale |
4. | NATURALLY OCCURRING BIOBASED POLYMERS |
5. | POLYSACCHARIDES |
5.1. | What is "nanocellulose"? |
5.2. | Nanocellulose up close |
5.3. | CelluForce |
5.4. | BioPlus by American Process |
5.5. | The Exilva project |
5.6. | Manufacturing thermoplastic starch |
5.7. | Plantic |
5.8. | Seaweed extracts as a packaging material |
5.9. | Loliware |
5.10. | Ooho! by Skipping Rocks Lab |
5.11. | Evoware |
6. | PROTEINS |
6.1. | Spider Silk Without Spiders |
6.2. | Manufacturing synthetic spider silk |
6.3. | Applications for Spider Silk |
6.4. | Bolt Threads |
6.5. | Spiber |
6.6. | Kraig Biocraft Laboratories |
7. | POLYESTERS |
7.1. | Introduction to poly(hydroxyalkanoates) |
7.2. | Suppliers of PHAs |
7.3. | PHAs: microstructures and properties |
7.4. | Biosynthetic pathways to PHAs |
7.5. | Fermentation, recovery and purification |
7.6. | Applications and opportunities for PHAs |
8. | SYNTHETIC BIOBASED POLYMERS |
9. | POLYESTERS: POLY(LACTIDE) |
9.1. | Introduction to poly(lactide) |
9.2. | Lactic acid: bacterial fermentation or chemical synthesis? |
9.3. | Optimal lactic acid bacteria strains for fermentation |
9.4. | Engineering yeast strains for lactic acid fermentation |
9.5. | Fermentation, recovery and purification |
9.6. | Polymerisation of lactide and microstructures of PLA |
9.7. | Suppliers of lactide and poly(lactide) |
9.8. | Current and future applications of poly(lactide) |
9.9. | Opportunities in the lifecycle of PLA |
10. | POLYESTERS: OTHER POLYESTERS |
10.1. | Introduction to polyesters from diacids and diols |
10.2. | The range of available biobased polyesters in 2018 |
10.3. | Biobased polyester suppliers |
10.4. | Biobased MEG and PET: monomer production |
10.5. | Biobased MEG and PET: polymer applications |
10.6. | Biobased PDO and PTT: monomer production |
10.7. | Biobased PDO and PTT: polymer applications |
10.8. | Biobased BDO and PBT: monomer production |
10.9. | Biobased BDO and PBT: polymer applications |
10.10. | Biobased succinic acid and PBS: monomer production |
10.11. | Biobased succinic acid and PBS: polymer applications |
10.12. | Biobased furfural compounds: 5-HMF |
10.13. | Biobased FDCA and PEF: monomer production |
10.14. | Biobased FDCA and PEF: polymer applications |
10.15. | Biobased TPA for PET, PEIT, PTT and PBAT polymers |
11. | POLYAMIDES |
11.1. | Introduction to biobased polyamides |
11.2. | Range of available biobased monomers and polyamides |
11.3. | Biobased monomer and polyamide suppliers |
11.4. | C6: adipic acid, hexamethylenediamine and caprolactam |
11.5. | C10: sebacic acid and decamethylenediamine |
11.6. | C11: 11-aminoundecanoic acid |
11.7. | C12: Dodecanedioic acid |
11.8. | Polyamide properties, applications and opportunities |
12. | OTHER POLYMERS |
12.1. | Other biobased polymers |
12.2. | Polyester polyols, polyurethanes and polyisocyanates |
12.3. | Cargill: vegetable oil derived polyols |
12.4. | Myriant: succinic acid based polyester polyols |
12.5. | Covestro and Reverdia: Impranil eco Succinic acid based polyester polyols |
12.6. | BASF: Sovermol 830 Castor oil derived polyether-ester polyol |
12.7. | Covestro: PDI and Desmodur eco N 7300 polyisocyanurate |
12.8. | Biobased polyolefins |
12.9. | Braskem: I'm green Polyethylene |
12.10. | Biobased isosorbide as a comonomer |
12.11. | Roquette: POLYSORB isosorbide |
12.12. | Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation: Durabio |
13. | MARKET TRENDS AND ANALYSIS |
13.1. | The price of oil affects the size of the Green Premium |
13.2. | Reduced carbon dioxide emissions directives |
13.3. | Feedstock competition: food or fuel (or plastics)? |
13.4. | The filthy five: curbing single use plastics |
13.5. | Are biodegradable plastics the solution? |
13.6. | Global plastics production to grow to 485 Mt in 2028 |
13.7. | Biobased polymers: forecast production capacity by material |
13.8. | Regional production forecast 2018-2023 |
13.9. | Drivers and restraints of market growth |