Users of biopolymers ultimately would like them made from waste biomass, not from corn or other food sugars—but cellulosic conversion is more expensive. At least six companies have active R&D that could lead to 100% bio-PET, some with biomass conversion. Coke has given R&D support to four: Avantium, Gevo, LiquidLight, and Virent. 

Avantium Technologies B.V. in Amsterdam, the Netherlands ( www.avantium.com), originally a spinoff from Royal Dutch Shell, developed PEF (polyethylene furanoate), a bio-polyester with high oxygen and moisture barriers for packaging. Avantium has had an 80,000 lb/yr (36,000 kg/yr) pilot plant for PEF since 2012. 

Gevo Inc., Englewood, Colorado ( www.gevo.com), in 2012 converted an ethanol plant in Luverne, Minnesota, to produce bio-isobutanol and -ethanol. Gevo runs one fermenter for bio-isobutanol, with capacity for about 5 million lb/year (2.3 million kg/yr), and three fermenters for bio-ethanol. Gevo licensed the technology in 2015 to Praj Industries Ltd. in Pune, India ( www.praj.net), for use with non-corn-based ethanol processes, and has memos of understanding with two other companies for potential licenses. Gevo makes bio-isobutanol into bio-paraxylene in a 4400 lb/year (2000 kg/yr) pilot plant in Silsbee, Texas, and supplies test quantities to Toray Industries Inc. in Tokyo, Japan ( www.toray.com), for bio-content PET fiber.

Liquid Light Inc., in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey ( www.llchemical.com), a spinoff from Princeton University, claims over 100 patents and patent applications for artificial photosynthesis to convert waste CO₂ from ethanol production into MEG and other chemicals. Liquid Light reportedly expects to have a pilot plant in Canada this year for its electrolytic nano-catalyst conversion technology (U.S. Pat. App. 20110114502).

And Virent Energy Systems Inc., in Madison, Wisconsin ( www.virent.com), uses a proprietary “Bioforming” process that mixes hydrogen with an aqueous sugar solution, then catalytically converts that “reformat” into bio-paraxylene in a 12,000 lb/yr (5500 kg/yr) pilot paraxylene plant, reportedly the world’s largest. Virent supplied bio-paraxylene for Coke’s production run of 100% bio-PET test bottles shown in Italy last year.