28 July 2015
ABOUT INVISTA Performance Technologies (IPT)
Plaxica is a technology licensing company founded in 2008
as a spin-out from Imperial College, London.
Our unique technology allows partners to
transform low value by-product streams into high value lactic acid.
Our process often has significant synergies
with the feedstock supplier which can further
improve the project’s financial case.
Plaxica’s lower cost lactic acid can be used to
reduce the cost base of existing applications and
also allows entry in new markets
where fermentation-based lactic acid has proved too costly.
As a result our technology can add significant value
to the feedstock owner’s by-product streams
whilst also delivering a cost reduction for the lactic acid purchaser.
Plaxica is well funded with strong investor backing,
and its management team is highly experienced
in the technology licensing sector.
We are focussed on delivering maximum return on investment
for our partners whilst driving the green economy
by the conversion of non-food based
by-product feedstocks into green chemicals.
Plaxica has developed strong relationships with
both upstream feedstock owners and with leading players
in the downstream lactic acid and derivatives market.
We have the skills and networks to build a successful project.
At our technical centre in the North East of England
our team of 20 experienced engineers and scientists
is devoted to technology improvement.
Our industrially-relevant demonstration plant
generates data to support technology licensing.
Why Lactic Acid ?
The global lactic acid market is 500,000 tonnes per annum
and this is growing strongly.
Lactic acid is a versatile material with strong green credentials
and a wide variety of applications across a range of industries.
Conventional lactic acid
is produced by fermentation of food grade sugars
in an expensive and time-consuming process.
Plaxica’s Versalac technology
produces lactic acid by a chemical process from
non-food, mixed sugars which are difficult to ferment.
The result is low cost, high purity lactic acid
with a highly competitive cost base.
PLAXICA'S TECHNOLOGY
* FEEDSTOCKS
Plaxica’s Versalac technology produces
high quality, low cost lactic acid from
forestry, agricultural and industrial by-product streams
which cannot be fermented by traditional methods.
Traditional lactic acid production depends on
fermentation of food grade sugars;
this is expensive and requires highly pure sugars
for efficient production.
Our technology has been proven with
numerous industrial feedstocks including:
- C6 and C5 sugars
- Hemicellulose residues from the forestry industry
- Lignocellulosic by-products from the bio-fuels industry
- Agricultural wastes
Hydrolysates from ”second generation” cellulosic sugar processes
* Versalac – Lactic Acid Technology
* Optipure – Low Cost D Lactic Acid
APPLICATIONS FOR PLAXICA'S TECHNOLOGY
Contact Plaxica
Plaxica Limited
Imperial College London f: +44 (0)20 7900 1580
London, SW7 2AZ, UKe: info@plaxica.com
DETAILS
INVISTA’s technology and licensing business
– INVISTA Performance Technologies (IPT) – and
a chemical technologies company focused on
the development of technology for
the production of low cost lactic acid from biomass,
have entered into a collaboration
that is expected to accelerate
the commercialisation of Plaxica’s technology.
Under the agreement, in which
INVISTA will have an option for an equity stake in Plaxica,
INVISTA will provide Plaxica engineering, technical and
commercial support from its global technology licensing organisation.
The two companies will work together
to develop and commercialise Plaxica’s lactic acid technology,
which the companies believe will offer substantial cost and
performance benefits to licensees in
the polylactic acid and bio-propylene glycol value chains.
Philip Goodier,
CEO of Plaxica.
“We are delighted to be working with INVISTA,”
“This deal gives us access to INVISTA’s considerable expertise
in process technology licensing and
to their global engineering, commercial and
client support capabilities.
We are confident that Plaxica’s strong technology base
and existing client relationships, combined with
INVISTA’s expertise and reputation
built over many years of successful licensing
in the global polyester industry, will strengthen and
accelerate the commercialisation of our technologies.”
Mike Pickens,
IPT president.
“Plaxica’s technology offers an exciting opportunity
to add to our technology licensing portfolio
in a growing sector,”
“We are very happy to be collaborating
with Plaxica to bring their technology to the market.”
Plaxica’s market-leading lactic acid technology
will soon be available from INVISTA.
For more information, please visit
the INVISTA Performance Technologies website
WWW.CHEMWINFO.COM BY KHUN PHICHAI
