Tech Opportunity: Environmentally conscious raw materials for various chemical products, such as plastics, adhesives, and flavors/fragrances

Objective

Green Chemical has developed proprietary technology to produce high-quality, low-cost, HMF (hydroxymethylfurfural), which can be used as a raw material for e.g. PEF (Polyethylene furanate), bioplastic with barrier properties superior to PET (Polyethylene terephthalate). They are seeking exchange of opinions and sample evaluations with potential collaborators such as plastic/resin manufacturers, packaging suppliers, and brands (food, automotive, home appliances, daily necessities/general merchandise, construction, etc.) seeking environmentally conscious alternatives to conventional petrochemical-derived plastics or plastics with new characteristics. 

Technology

Green Chemical produces environmentally friendly 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) using its proprietary catalyst. Unlike conventional methods that rely on high temperatures, high pressures, and hazardous chemicals, the company’s process produces HMF from non-edible biomass under mild conditions (e.g., normal pressure at around 100°C). The company’s unique purification technology enables it to provide high-purity HMF (up to 99.9%) while keeping costs down.

Key Differentiators:

• Environmental Impact Reduction / Lower Cost: Unlike conventional manufacturing processes conducted under high temperature and pressure or in strong acids (e.g., sulfuric acid), this process is carried out under mild conditions at approximately 100°C and atmospheric pressure in an aqueous solvent.
• High Quality and High Purity: Initial purity is 95%, and proprietary technology enables purification up to 99.9%.
• Flexible Feedstock: Able to use non-edible biomass (glucose from cellulose) or food-safe ingredients (fructose).
• Solid Lewis acid catalyst: It functions even in water, enabling the use of sugars in aqueous solutions as raw materials. Furthermore, the catalyst is reusable.

Potential Applications

• PEF (beverage bottles, food packaging, etc.)
• Monomer raw material for super-engineering plastics derived from furan rings (automotive parts, electronic components, aircraft parts, medical device components, etc.), serving as an alternative to aromatic polyamides (aramids), PEEK, PPS, etc.
• Alternative monomer raw material for general-purpose engineering plastics (automotive parts, electronic components, synthetic fibers, etc.), such as polyamides and polycarbonates
• Substitute for raw materials for urethane, epoxy, polyester (adhesives, etc.)
• Substitute for formaldehyde, a raw material for thermosetting resins such as phenolic resin, melamine resin, and urea resin
• Substitute for resorcinol, which is used as a reinforcing material for tires, an adhesive for wood and rubber, in cosmetics (hair dyes, skin care products, etc.), as a sterilizing and preservative agent, in pharmaceuticals, as a UV absorber, and as a raw material for fluorescent dyes.
• 2,5-Bis-hydroxymethylfuran (diol) (surfactants/detergents/adhesives)
• 2,5-Diformylfuran (dialdehyde) (adhesives, etc.)
• Others: biofuels, solvents, lubricants, plasticizers, etc.
• Also suitable for food, flavorings, functional foods, and pharmaceuticals

PEF (polyethylene furanoate) is a plant-based alternative to petroleum-based PET, used in beverage bottles or plastic packaging containers, offering advantages like a 10x better oxygen barrier and 5x better CO2 barrier than PET while style being fully recyclable. PEF is derived from FDCA (2,5-furandicarboxylic acid), which can be mass produced with Green Chemical’s 5HMF technology. 

HMF is the precursor to a variety of other molecules with commercial potential as illustrated below.

Products currently developed and manufactured by Green Chemical（example）

Green Chemical Overview and Development Status

Green Chemical, is a Tokyo Institute of Technology (Currently, Institute of Science Tokyo) and Tohoku University venture, established in 2018. It has received financial support from the Japanese Ministry of the Environment and the NEDO-GX Project. The company has raised $2.57M in one seed round and pre-series A funding. Green Chemical’s HMF is currently being produced at bench scale (10kg per batch) and scale-up development is ongoing. A pilot demonstration plant (tons/year scale) is under construction and scheduled to be completed 2026-2027. Green Chemical is targeting licensing the technology for commercial production in the 2028-2030 timeframe.

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