L & aring; kril technologies is developing new processes for manufacture of BIO-based industrial chemicals

Our lactic-to-acrylic technology provides corn-derived drop-in BIO-based acrylic acid and acrylates at cost parity to today's petrochemical acrylics while providing at least 35% reduction in CO2 emissions and increasing economic competitiveness in global markets through new industrial uses for the US' largest crop. Once commercialized, our process technology will be constructed and provide high-quality, well-paying stem jobs in rural locations near corn fields, similar to ethanol plants.producing sustainable acrylic acid and acrylates brings significant health and welfare benefits through increased sustainability by moving the $10 billion, 6.5 million metric ton per annum acrylics value chain away from its petrochemical base. Acrylics are used throughout the superabsorbent polymer, paints, coatings, and adhesives markets. This sbir proposal leverages the dilute aqueous calcium or ammonium lactate streams available at low cost in lactic acid BIO-refineries to increase the profitability window through optimized catalyst and feed formulation for sustainable production of BIO-based acrylics. The project also provides the foundation for scaling and further testing the effect of impurities in the identified feed stream on our overall process to produce acrylic acid and/or acrylates in a potential follow-on phase II effort.