The project ran between April and October 2024.
Vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) is a chemical commodity used in adhesives and composite material manufacturing. Currently, commercial VAM production is exclusively based on fossil feedstock, inevitably promoting the release of additional carbon into the atmosphere. This project explored a chemical pathway enabling the production of VAM from a completely bio-based feedstock. The aim was to achieve a ‘proof of concept’ for bio-based VAM production by experimentally demonstrating the first reaction step, which is crucial for process efficiency and economic feasibility. A laboratory system had been erected at RISE AB facilities in Piteå and the hypothesis was validated by three consecutive trials with consistent results, as confirmed by laboratory analyses performed by RISE Processum AB. The development now proceeds together with an additional project partner, Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, with focus on catalyst development, addition of the second reaction step and with emphasis on technoeconomy.
Participants
Sekab Biofuels & Chemicals AB, RISE AB and RISE Processum.
Budget
The project’s total budget was almost 1 MSEK.