Renewable Butyl Acrylate

How Renewable Butyl Acrylate is Produced

Key Pathways:

1. Bio-acrylic acid + Bio-butanol (Esterification)
• Bio-acrylic acid is produced via fermentation of glycerol, glucose, or 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP).
• Bio-butanol is generated via acetone–butanol–ethanol (ABE) fermentation using Clostridia or engineered yeast.
• These are esterified under mild acidic conditions to produce butyl acrylate.
2. Drop-in Route
• Uses either one bio-based input (acrylic acid or butanol) while retaining the other as fossil-based — a near-term commercialization strategy.
3. Emerging Fully Fermentative Route
• R&D in direct microbial production of acrylate esters from sugars in engineered microbes is ongoing but still at lab scale.

Feedstocks: Corn or sugarcane (for glucose), lignocellulose (for 2G sugars), glycerol (biodiesel byproduct).

Case Study: Arkema – Bio-based Butyl Acrylate Using Bio-butanol

Highlights:

• Arkema has commercialized renewable butyl acrylate using bio-butanol derived from fermentation, in partnership with fermentation tech providers.
• Used in coatings, adhesives, and automotive paints under Sartomer® brand with high bio-based content.

Timeline & Outcome:

• 2016–2018: Process scale-up and sourcing of bio-butanol initiated.
• 2020: Launch of mass-balance certified bio-based butyl acrylate.
• 2022–2024: Expanded product lines in Europe and North America with growing customer uptake.

Global Startups Working on Renewable Acrylates

• Cargill + NatureWorks (USA) – Working on bio-based acrylic acid via lactic acid and 3-HP routes.
• Nippon Shokubai (Japan) – Developed glycerol-to-acrylic acid process, tested for use in acrylate esters.
• BASF & Quantafuel – Evaluating plastic waste-derived bio-acrylics through pyrolysis + chemical recycling.
• LanzaTech (USA) – Converts CO₂/syngas to ethanol and longer-chain alcohols like butanol for acrylates.

India’s Position

India currently imports butyl acrylate and acrylic acid (~200 KTPA) for use in paints and textiles.

• No domestic bio-based acrylate production yet, but:
• Godavari Biorefineries and Praj Industries have fermentation capabilities for bio-butanol and glycerol.
• ICT Mumbai and CSIR–NCL are conducting lab-scale research on bio-acrylic acid synthesis via glycerol dehydration and microbial routes.
• India’s growing ethanol and biodiesel base provides indirect infrastructure for bio-acrylate building blocks.

Commercialization Outlook

Market & Demand

• Global butyl acrylate market: ~$5.2 billion (2024), expected to reach ~$7 billion by 2030.
• Applications:
• Water-based coatings
• Adhesives and sealants
• Textile and paper finishes

Key Drivers

• Demand from low-VOC (volatile organic compound) and green coatings.
• Corporate procurement targets for bio-based packaging and surface coatings.
• Alignment with mass balance certification systems (e.g., ISCC+).
• Growing supply of bio-butanol from industrial fermentation.

Challenges to Address

• High Price Gap: Bio-based acrylic acid and butanol are still 1.5–2× costlier than fossil versions.
• Purity Standards: Coating and adhesive applications require strict monomer purity and reactivity.
• Infrastructure Lock-in: Existing plants are optimized for fossil-based inputs.
• Lack of Local Scale: No Indian bio-acrylate plant currently exists.

Progress Indicators

• 2016: Arkema and Evonik begin R&D on bio-acrylate monomers.
• 2020: Bio-butanol–based butyl acrylate launched at industrial scale (mass balance).
• 2022–2024: Multiple coating and adhesive product lines include renewable content.
• India: R&D on glycerol-to-acrylic acid at ICT Mumbai; fermentation of bio-butanol explored by Godavari.

TRL 8–9, with full commercial products in the market. Full bio-based acrylate (using bio-acrylic acid) is at TRL 5–7, with lab to pilot-scale developments ongoing.

Conclusion

Renewable butyl acrylate is an important milestone in sustainable coatings and adhesives, offering manufacturers a route to decarbonize products without changing performance. Companies like Arkema and Cargill have shown that drop-in or partially renewable options are already viable, and full bio-based solutions are progressing fast. For India, leveraging its glycerol, ethanol, and fermentation infrastructure could enable entry into this high-demand segment. As price gaps close and certifications strengthen, bio-acrylates will become a core enabler of circular chemistry in paints and polymers.

Wish to have bio-innovations industry or market research support from specialists for climate & environment? Talk to BioBiz team – Call Muthu at +91-9952910083 or send a note to ask@biobiz.in