International. Swiss company AvaBiochem confirmed its first commercial-scale production of the 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) renewable chemical platform.
The 5-HMF is made from renewable raw materials in the "Biochem 1" facility. In its first phase, it will produce up to 20 tons per year 5-HMF. The innovative production process for the 5-HMF is based on a modified version of the hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) process. Various purity levels up to 99.9% are available.
In 2010, 5-HMF was identified as one of the 10 most valuable chemicals by the U.S. Department of Energy. Currently, it is being used intensively in the research and development of new materials and industrial products, such as polymers, resins and additives for coatings, paints and plastics.
