OPTimized conversion of residual wheat straw to bio-ISObutene for bio based CHEMicals

ended

OPTISOCHEM goal is to demonstrate the performances, reliability as well as environmental and socio-economic sustainability of the entire value chains, for the transformation of excess wheat straw into bio-Isobutene (bio-IBN) derivatives. To achieve these goals a team of 6 partners, leaders in their field, originating from 4 EU-member states, will join efforts. OPTISOCHEM consists in showcasing the technical accessibility and economical sustainability of the value chains, from wheat straw to 2 different families of chemicals derived from bio-based IBN. These compounds, oligomers (DIB, TIB, TeIB) and polyisobutylenes (PIBs) are currently used in a wide range of applications such as lubricants, adhesives, sealants, flavors & fragrances and substituted phenols. This large market is today supplied entirely by products derived from fossil-based isobutene. Products derived from bio-based IBN, using the same process as fossil-based IBN, and with at least as good performances, would provide a renewable supply. OPTISOCHEM includes the development & up-scaling of bio-IBN production from wheat straw, followed by the production and validation at relevant scale -representative of commercial, established processes- of the bio-based derivatives. To this end, four ambitious objectives were defined: -Demonstrate the production of wheat straw hydrolysate (WSH) and establish a quality standard to feed the IBN fermentation unit, -Demonstrate the production of bio-IBN from WSH at pre-commercial scale, -Demonstrate the quality of end products obtained with bio-IBN as a feedstock and using traditional commercial processes designed for fossil based IBN, -Determine and validate the targeted technical, economic as well as environmental/social sustainability performances to be achieved for a commercial plant project. Related Work packages, tasks, milestones and risks are considered in order to achieve these objectives. OPTISOCHEM project is fully aligned with the call topic.