The innovative chemical company Relement is scaling up the production of biobased aromatics to a commercial level. Fueled by a recent €5,4 million capital injection, the focus is shifting to the market introduction of Bio MPA, a sustainable alternative to fossil-based building blocks in coatings. The technology has now been technically validated in industrial paints, marking the beginning of its integration into the mainstream chemical supply chain.
Aromatics are essential in the chemical industry for the production of scratch-resistant and UV-resistant coatings and plastics. Until recently, extracting these complex molecules from biomass was commercially difficult. Relement is changing that with its first product, Bio MPA (3-methylphthalic anhydride). This bio-aromatic is produced from renewable sugars and directly replaces fossil-based alternatives extracted from petroleum.
From test phase to industrial batches
With the €5,4 million investment from Invest-NL, the Brabant Development Agency (BOM), and KIKK Capital, Relement is transitioning from a pilot program to supplying commercial batches. This scale-up comes at a time when the European paint industry is accelerating its search for ways to reduce the carbon footprint of raw materials without compromising quality.
The technology has already proven itself in practice. Manufacturers like Royal Van Wijhe Verf use Bio MPA to produce exterior paints that are largely made from renewable resources. Technical data shows that the bio-based building block in alkyd paints even outperforms the traditional fossil-based standard in terms of hardness and drying time.
Strengthening local biochemistry
Relement operates from the Green Chemistry Campus in Bergen op Zoom, where it benefits from the connection between the agricultural sector and the chemical industry. The company's strategy focuses on locally processing agricultural waste streams into high-quality chemical intermediates. This reduces dependence on global fossil fuel chains and creates a more robust, regional raw materials chain.
Source: Relement
Photo created with AI for illustration purposes
