This document provides a summary of the latest news and announcements from the global bio-based chemicals and materials sector for April 2012. Key highlights include: the bioplastics market is expected to triple by 2015; major bioplastics companies are investing in developing Asian markets; and a number of partnerships have been announced to develop new bio-based polymers, chemicals, and materials. Commodity prices for crops and crude oil increased significantly compared to the previous year.

1. NNFCC Market Review
Bio-based Products Issue One, April 2012
E
ach month we review the latest But looking into the future it will be
announcements and news from developing markets like Asia which are
across the global bio-based likely to be the most attractive to new
chemicals and materials sector for our investment.
business members.
A number of bioplastic companies are
Foreword already investing in this emerging
market, including NatureWorks who
Welcome to the launch issue of our
have recently announced plans for a
new market review. This month we have
polylactic acid plant in Thailand which
seen major progress in the
could be online by 2015 but it is likely to
development of new markets for bio-
be the first of many new facilities in the
based products and the trends suggest
area over the next decade.
the bioplastics market is likely to triple
over the next three years.
Read on to find out more.
As more biopolymer production
facilities are due to begin commercial Highlights
operations in 2012, it is evident we have
Page 2 Markets News Round-up
reached a tipping point in the
commercialisation of bioplastics. Page 2 Patents News Round-up
Much of the focus of current Page 3 Platform Chemicals News
development is in the Americas and Round-up
Europe, especially in countries like Italy
where tax breaks are being used to Page 5 Bioplastics News Round-up
promote the use of compostable Page 7 Commodity Prices
plastic bags.
Page 7 Events
NNFCC Market Review, April 2012, Page 1 of 8

2. Markets investment targets, overtaking the US and
South America as the largest growth areas.
In addition, Glycos said that demand for new
bio-based chemicals, such as synthetic
rubber, will continue to emerge and the
performance and economic advantages of
non-sugar feedstocks will become
increasingly apparent to project developers
and investment managers.
Click here for more information.
Source: ICIS
Global demand for bioplastics Patents
expected to triple by 2015
Latest on the Gevo-Butamax
By 2015, global demand for biodegradables isobutanol patent infringement clash
and bio-based plastics will more than triple to
exceed 1 million tonnes and be worth At the start of March, renewable chemical
$2.9billion (€2.1billion), say the Freedonia and fuels company Gevo defeated a patent
Group. infringement claim from Butamax – a joint
venture between BP and DuPont – relating to
Rising petroleum costs will allow some their isobutanol-producing yeast.
bioplastic resins to reach price parity with
conventional plastics. Less than a week later, Butamax filed a new
lawsuit against Gevo for infringing their patent
Excellent growth is projected for the two relating to the use of recombinant KARI
leading biodegradable plastics, starch-based enzymes.
resins and polylactic acid (PLA), which are
expected to more than double in demand The case is the latest in a long standing battle
through 2015. Polyhydroxy-alkanoate (PHA) between the companies which goes back to
resins, which are now entering the 2011, when Butamax filed suit against Gevo
commercial market, are expected to show for two patent infringements – the trial for
the greatest gains. these cases is set for April 2013.
Click here for more information. Click here and here for more information.
Glycos Biotechnologies see Asian Metabolix grants patent license to
market as major growth area for high- NatureWorks for new biopolymer
value speciality chemicals blends
Glycos Biotechnologies have announced Metabolix have announced they have
what they see as the major future trends in granted a non-exclusive license to
renewable chemicals. Topping the list they NatureWorks for the US patent No. 5,883,199,
said Asian markets will become attractive titled "Polylactic Acid-based Blends," to make,
use and sell blends of polylactic acid (PLA)
NNFCC Market Review, April 2012, Page 2 of 8

3. with certain other polymers, including thermoforming and injection-moulding
polybutylene succinic polymers (PBS). processes.
The deal is welcome news for Metabolix This new compounded resins are designed for
following the recent announcement that food service ware applications and designed
chemical giants ADM would be cutting ties to expand the Ingeo property range in terms
with the company. of flexibility, toughness, heat resistance, and
drop-in processability on existing
Click here for more information. manufacturing equipment.
Myriant develops proprietary process Click here for more information.
to produce bio-acrylic acid
OPXBIO achieves bio-based acrylic
Myriant has filed for patent protection with acid production milestone
the United States Patent and Trademark
Office for its bio-acrylic acid process and will OPX Biotechnologies Inc. have announced
immediately initiate scale-up activities to that they have successfully demonstrated
provide product samples to customers in the their fermentation process for bio-based
second half of 2012. acrylic acid (or BioAcrylic) at the 3,000-liter
scale.
Based on its progress to-date, Myriant expects
that its bio-acrylic acid product will be cost OPXBIO is working with The Dow Chemical
competitive, compared to petroleum-based Company to bring BioAcrylic into the $10-
acrylic acid without the need for government billion market for acrylic used in products such
subsidies or green premiums. as diapers, detergents, paints and adhesives.
Click here for more information.
Click here for more information.
Amyris secures $83.7 million in
additional financing
Platform Chemicals
Renewable chemical and fuel company
Amyris have sold $58.7 million of shares in a
private placement and agreed to sell $25
million in notes to boost its working capital.
One of the biggest investors was Biolding
Investment, a company owned by Qatar’s
former Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin
NatureWorks and BioAmber form joint Khalifa Al-Thani.
venture to commercialise polymers
made from bio-based succinic acid Biolding Investment agreed to purchase $15
million of additional common stock on the
Under the joint venture, NatureWorks plans to provision that Amyris completes its
commercialise a new family of compounded commercial-scale Paraíso Bioenergia SA
Ingeo™ resin grades made using BioAmber’s Biofene™ production facility plant in Brazil by
PLA/PBS compounding technology, and is March 2013.
immediately offering samples of
developmental grades aimed at Click here for more information.
NNFCC Market Review, April 2012, Page 3 of 8

4. BioAmber scales up production of agreements for a joint commercial operation
bio-based 1,4 butanediol in Asia for the production of bio-based 1,4
butanediol (BDO) using Genomatica’s
process technology.
BioAmber has scaled up its hydrogenation
catalyst technology under license from
Mitsubishi has made an up-front payment to
DuPont and converted multi-ton quantities of
Genomatica of $3.5 million while the
bio-succinic acid into 100% bio-based 1,4-
companies continue to work toward
butanediol (1,4-BDO), tetrahydrofuran (THF)
completing their definitive agreements, some
and gamma-butyrolactone (GBL).
or all of which may be repaid upon certain
BioAmber believes the global addressable conditions.
market for these products exceeds $4 billion,
and that they are principally used to make The agreement continues until 30 June 2012
polyesters, polyurethanes, spandex and or the date the companies execute a
biodegradable plastics. definitive agreement.
Click here for more information. Click here for more information.
LANXESS invest $10 million in GuangXi Guangwei Chemical to
BioAmber produce bio-based PVA
BioAmber has completed its latest round of GuangXi Guangwei Chemical have
financing with net proceeds of $30 million; launched a new production line of bio-based
including a $10 million investment with PVA with a capacity of 50,000 metric tons per
specialty chemicals company LANXESS. year to satisfy the growing market for
renewable PVA in Asia.
The investment by LANXESS is the culmination
of a strategic collaboration in the field of PVA is used in a range of applications
renewable, phthalate-free plasticizers. including paper adhesive, packaging films
BioAmber and LANXESS are jointly developing and bio lubricants.
phthalate-free plasticizers and expect to
begin sampling succinic-based plasticizers Click here for more information.
later in 2012.
Royal DSM and Roquette Frères bio-
The companies are also collaborating in
based succinic acid joint venture
Sarnia, Ontario, on the establishment of
BioAmber’s first world-scale bio-succinic acid approved
manufacturing facility. LANXESS is owner of
the site and will provide BioAmber with utilities Reverdia, the joint venture between Royal
and services needed to operate the facility. DSM and Roquette Frères, has been formally
approved by the relevant regulatory
Click here for more information. authorities.
Reverdia aims to build on its emerging
Mitsubishi Chemical signs BDO limited
leadership position for bio-based succinic
exclusivity agreement acid through its proprietary production
technology and by ensuring reliable supply to
Genomatica announced that Mitsubishi
meet the evolving market demands. Reverdia
Chemical Corporation has signed an
combines DSM’s expertise in Materials
agreement to exclusively negotiate definitive
Sciences, and biotechnology together with
NNFCC Market Review, April 2012, Page 4 of 8

5. Roquette’s know-how in plant-based raw
material processing.
Click here for more information. Bioplastics
Rivertop Renewables begins
advanced testing of green chemicals
with commercial production
expected later in the year
In March US chemical company Rivertop
Renewables announced that they have
successfully scaled up their patented
glucarate manufacturing technology.
Rivertop has contracted DTI, a custom
manufacturer of fine and speciality chemical
products based in Virginia (US), to pilot the
manufacture of Rivertop’s glucarate-based Avantium and Danone to develop
products. next-generation bioplastic
Product made in this initial phase of contract
Following its agreement with Coca-Cola last
manufacturing will be used to fulfil Rivertop’s
year, Avantium has now signed a Joint
commercial contracts for bio-based corrosion
Venture Agreement for the development of
inhibitors.
Poly-ethylene-furanoate (PEF) bottles with
Rivertop and DTI hope to scale capacity up Danone – makers of evian and volvic – and
to 10 million pounds of contract- number two in the worldwide bottled water
manufactured product per year in the fourth business.
quarter of 2012.
In December 2011, Avantium opened its pilot
Click here for more information. plant in Geleen, the Netherlands, with the
capacity to produce 40 tonnes of PEF for
Ajinomoto and Toray to develop bio- application development.
based nylon
Avantium hopes to license its YXY technology
to enable large scale, world-wide production
Ajinomoto and Toray Industries have entered
and use of its bio-sourced plastic materials.
into an agreement to begin joint research for
manufacturing the nylon raw material 1,5-
Click here for more information.
pentanediamine (1,5-PD) from the amino
acid lysine produced from plant materials by
Ajinomoto using fermentation technology, DaniMer Scientific and Myriant
and commercialising a bio-based nylon announce strategic alliance to
made from this substance. develop bio-based polymers
Click here for more information.
DaniMer Scientific and Myriant have
announced that the companies have formed
a strategic alliance focused on delivering
NNFCC Market Review, April 2012, Page 5 of 8

6. innovative, cost-effective bio-based materials Yulex and Cooper Tire to develop bio-
to the marketplace. based rubber tyres
As part of the strategic alliance, DaniMer will
US natural rubber specialists Yulex and tyre
utilize Myriant’s bio-succinic acid for the
manufacturers Cooper Tire have signed a
production of high-performance, bio-based
joint venture to develop tyre's made from a
polymers used to make a broad range of
desert shrub, native to south west America,
sustainable, eco-friendly products.
known as Guayule.
Click here for more information.
Under the agreement, Cooper will provide
advanced polymer and materials science
Roquette industrial unit for Gaialene® expertise and share its design, development
bioplastic production fully operational and testing capabilities.
Starch producers Roquette have successfully Yulex will provide experience with the
launched their first industrial production unit development and production of advanced
for Gaialene® bio-based plastics at its main engineered guayule-based biopolymers.
site in Lestrem, France.
Click here for more information.
The unit which has an annual capacity of
25,000 tons was finished at the end of 2011 New nano-catalyst could be biggest
and has now started commercial operations. bioplastic breakthrough in three
The unit is expected to serve the growing
decades
European market for bio-based products.
A new nano-catalyst being developed by
Click here for more information.
chemical giants Dow could help the
company commercialise a process for
Evonik polyamides certified “bio-
making traditional plastics from biomass,
based” according to research published in the
journal Science.
The VESTAMID® Terra family of polyamides
from Evonik Industries has been certified as The new catalyst is made of tiny spheres of
"bio-based" by independent institutes. The iron and could significantly increase the
bio-based components have been certified efficiency of converting synthesis gas to lower
per DIN ISO 10694; 1996-08 and by the USDA’s olefins; key building blocks for manufacturing
Biopreferred® program. These official plastics, cosmetics and even
laboratories used C14 trace carbon analytics pharmaceuticals.
to verify that the carbon in these products
come from biomass rather than petroleum. The new, improved iron-based catalyst
yielded about 50 per cent more lower olefins
VESTAMID® Terra polymers are partially or than conventional catalysts. Dow say they
entirely based on renewable feedstocks. The are still refining the process further and
starting material is the castor bean (Ricinus commercial production could yet be 5 to 10
communis) and its oil derivatives, which are years away.
synthesised into monomers that form the basis
of the VESTAMID® Terra product range. Click here for more information.
Click here for more information.
NNFCC Market Review, April 2012, Page 6 of 8

7. Commodity Prices
Item Price, US$ (Feb 07) Price, US$ (Feb 12) % Price Increase
Crude oil (petroleum, barrel) 57.58 ↑ 112.71 95.75
Maize (corn, metric ton) 177.35 ↑ 279.71 57.72
Rapeseed oil (metric ton) 864.93 ↑ 1300.00 49.98
Soybean oil (metric ton) 664.88 ↑ 1170.00 76.00
Sugar (pound) 0.1057 ↑ 0.2406 127.63
Ethanol (gallon) 2.12 ↓ 2.20 3.77
For details on indexes please see www.indexmundi.com/commodities
Crude Oil (petroleum), simple average of three spot prices; Dated Brent, West Texas Intermediate,
and the Dubai Fateh. Ethanol details available at www.neo.ne.gov/statshtml/66.html
Arrows indicate rise (↑) or fall (↓) from previous month.
Comparison of Price Indexes (2005 = 100)
300
Price index (relative terms)
250
200
Agricultural Raw
150 Materials
Food
100
50 Crude Oil (Petroleum)
0
Mar-97
Mar-98
Mar-99
Mar-00
Mar-01
Mar-02
Mar-03
Mar-04
Mar-05
Mar-06
Mar-07
Mar-08
Mar-09
Mar-10
Mar-11
For details on the nature of these commodities please see www.indexmundi.com/commodities
Events The main focus of this event is on the UK role
for biomass conversion, and the business and
commercial implications of the technologies
Processing Lignocellulosic Biomass
being developed.
Conference, 18 April 2012 in
Cleveland, UK NNFCC members can benefit from up to £50
www.soci.org/events off the standard delegate rate to this event.
Email enquiries@nnfcc.co.uk to receive the
The main focus of this event is on the UK role special promotional code.
for biomass conversion, and the business and
commercial implications of the technologies
being developed
NNFCC Market Review, April 2012, Page 7 of 8

8. Biopolymer World Congress, 23-24 The first workshop covers the principles of
April 2012 in Mestre-Venice, Italy LCA, requirements, problems and issues. The
second provides a ‘hands on’ opportunity to
www.biopolymerworld.com
learn to carry out an LCA. The workshops can
be taken together or separately.
This international forum tackles the latest
advancements in the Biopolymer industry
while addressing the entire value chain. The 8th International Conference on
Congress focuses on the modern challenges Renewable Resources & Biorefineries,
facing the biopolymer and bio-based 4-6 June 2012 in Toulouse, France
chemicals industry, ranging from research www.rrbconference.com
breakthroughs to end-of-life recovery.
As a result of the growing impact of
The diverse assembly of attendees will renewable resources, this conference aims at
include: business executives, research & bringing together academic researchers,
development managers, investors, policy industrial experts, policymakers and venture
makers, brand owners, researchers, scientists capital providers to discuss the challenges
and engineers from all over the globe. emerging from the transition towards a bio-
based economy and to present new
NNFCC members receive a 10 per cent developments in this area.
discount off the usual delegate rates. Email
congress@biopolymerworld.com to receive 7th European Bioplastics Conference,
the special promotional code.
6-7 Nov 2012 in Berlin, Germany
en.european-bioplastics.org
Life Cycle Assessment Workshops, 16-
17 May 2012 in York, UK The annual European Bioplastics Conference
www.nnfcc.co.uk/events offers a unique information platform for
industry trends and innovations in material
Two workshops have been developed to and application development.
provide a basic understanding of LCA and
how to set about doing one.
Credits and Disclaimer
NNFCC Market Review is edited by Dr Matthew Aylott for NNFCC members. Feedback is welcome.
The Review has been compiled in good faith and NNFCC does not accept responsibility for any
inaccuracies or the products or services shown.
NNFCC, Biocentre, Phone: +44 (0)1904 435182
York Science Park, Fax: +44 (0)1904 435345
Innovation Way, E: enquiries@nnfcc.co.uk
Heslington, York, Web: www.nnfcc.co.uk
YO10 5DG.
NNFCC Market Review, April 2012, Page 8 of 8