BioAmber is leveraging its flexible succinic acid platform to expand its product base to C6 building block chemicals. BioAmber has begun development of bio-adipic acid and also plans to produce bio-based caprolactam and bio-based hexamethylene diamine (HMDA) from renewable feedstocks.

Adipic Acid

Adipic acid is primarily used in the production of Nylon 6,6 fibers, plastics and resins. Nylon fibers are used in carpeting and rugs, nylon plastics are used in molding and extrusion applications and nylon resins are used mainly for injection molding in automotive and electrical applications, as well as for hardware, appliance and machine parts.

Caprolactam

Caprolactam is an intermediate used in the production of Nylon 6, a major engineering plastic. Nylon 6 finds significant use in film and wire and cable insulation, as well as in automotive applications like intake manifolds, previously made with aluminum ingots, replaced by plastics such as Nylon 6 in order to reduce weight and obtain flexibility of design.

HMDA

BioAmber's C6 Platform also offers a proprietary route to Bio-HMDA, which is an intermediate used to produce Nylon 6,6. Nylon 6,6 polymer is principally converted into fibers, with the remainder going into Nylon 6,6 plastics used in molding and extrusion applications, primarily in automotive applications such as exterior body components, under-the-hood components, and some mechanical components. Other Nylon 6,6 resin applications include electronics, film and extrusion coatings. A major use of Nylon fibers is in carpeting and rugs.