Bio-acrylonitrile
Site selection is underway for a glycerol-to-acrylonitrile demonstration-scale plant that will enable the production of plant-based acrylonitrile (ACN). Trillium (Knoxville, Tenn.; www.trilliumchemicals.com) is partnering with Zeton (Oakville, Ont.; www.zeton.com) to design and build the plant, known as Project Falcon. The demonstration facility is being scaled up from a pilot plant that has been operating since 2022 (Chem. Eng., April 2022, p. 8). Using a two-step process whereby glycerol is dehydrated to acrolein, which then undergoes an ammoxidation reaction to produce ACN, the Trillium demonstration plant will produce ACN for a number of applications, including acrylonitrile, butadiene, styrene (ABS) plastic, rubber, acrylic fabrics, carbon fibers and others. The facility will focus on de-risking the technology, while also producing sufficient material for sample testing by partners, such as Solvay and HyoSung, explains Trillium independent board chair Erik Scher. Trillium is currently evaluating four sites, and depending on the particulars of the site selected for the plant, it is likely to begin operation sometime in 2025.