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Next-gen biobased lubricants, materials offer performance advantages over petro-based

Environmental concerns drive usage

Despite a checkered past, biobased lubricants and materials today offer a clear value proposition when compared with their petrobased counterparts, but smart business execution is critical to eventual success, according to Lux Research, which provides strategic advice and ongoing intelligence for emerging technologies.

“With demonstrated performance benefits over petroleum-derived incumbents in uses from lubricants to personal care, opportunities exist for companies to use improved biobased options,” said Lux Research Senior Analyst Ross Kozarsky, co-author of the report titled “Hunting for Value and Performance in the Biobased Materials and Chemicals Space.”

“Specialty chemicals, biopolymers, and advanced materials are all promising areas of technology development, but smart business execution is just as critical–so we set out to highlight downstream applications where these innovations offer concrete value propositions,” he added.

Lux Research analysts evaluated biobased players, focusing on six areas: lubricants, adhesives, coatings, advanced materials, personal care and cosmetics, and packaging. Among their findings:

  • Mature lubricants space offers partnership and acquisition targets. Biosynthetic Technologies, which recently got a $115 million loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, would be a good fit for partners pursuing an established company generating products with existing market traction.
  • Environmental concerns drive coatings. Regulators are pushing to cut volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in coatings, creating opportunity for diverse biobased technologies that reduce or even eliminate VOCs.

The report is part of the Lux Research Biobased Materials and Chemicals Intelligence service.

Lux Research Inc., 617-502-5314, carole.jacques@luxresearchinc.com, www.luxresearchinc.com