Rhodia Aroma Performance, part of Rhodia’s (France ; www.rhodia.com) consumer chemicals cluster and a leader in the production of catechol, and Endura Fine Chemicals (Bologna, Italy; www.endura.it), the Iargest producer of piperonyl butoxide (PBO) worlwide, have signed a supply agreement that will guarantee a viable alternative to the production of PBO that was previously made from limited, natural raw materials.
PBO is a synergist used in household insecticide formulations. It was traditionally produced through a sassafras oil-based route. According to Rhodia, this production process is highly demanding in terms of natural resources, as roughly 70 kg of sassafras wood are required to make only 1 kg of PBO. Considering the amount of PBO used yearly in the world, its production would require the equivalent of about 100 football fields of trees translating into devastating deforestation.
Rhodia and Endura have decided to join their expertise to maintain the only completely synthetic route for PBO, thus avoiding depletion of resources. Endura has developed a patented process based on its core competency in chloromethylation which makes PBO from catechol.