Renewable chemistry company BioAmber has signed a collaboration agreement with Mitsubishi Chemical Corp in the field of biobased succinic acid.
Under the strategic agreement, BioAmber and its Asian distribution partner Mitsui & Co will act as the suppliers of biobased succinic acid to Mitsubishi Chemical.
BioAmber has begun to supply Mitsubishi Chemical with biobased succinic acid produced in Europe.
The three companies are also conducting a feasibility study to build a succinic acid production facility next to Mitsubishi’s planned polybutylene succinate (PBS) production plant in Thailand.
BioAmber and Mitsubishi Chemical will also incorporate elements of Mitsubishi’s succinic acid technology into BioAmber’s biosuccinic platform.
BioAmber has also secured the right to source biobased PBS from Mitsubishi Chemical for its modified PBS polymers, which are marketed through BioAmber’s Sinoven Biopolymers subsidiary.
BioAmber Sinoven Biopolymers subsidiary president Ray Balee said the partnership with Mitsubishi ensures that BioAmber’s customers will have access to competitively-priced, modified PBS that is renewable and has freedom to practice.
BioAmber is engaged in the development and commercialization of biobased succinic acid and derivatives including modified PBS, a biodegradable plastic offering better heat resistance and processability than other biopolymers.