Chemicals > Biomolecules > Solvents

Today's market for solvents is around five million tonnes in Europe, including roughly 600 000 tonnes in France. Solvents are generally produced by the petrochemical industry, and emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are implicated in human health risks, photochemical pollution, depletion of the ozone layer, and the greenhouse effect. To reduce the environmental impact of VOCs a great many regulations have been adopted at the country level as well as the European level. These regulations target chlorinated, fluorinated and in some cases hydrocarbonated and oxygenated solvents.
Since 1999 AGRICE has supported projects aimed at formulating and evaluating the solvent properties of vegetable oil esters and glyceride compounds for use in many fields of application, including printshop cleaning, paints, varnishes and similar compounds, storage electrolytes in batteries, and elaboration of bituminous binders for road construction.

2007
Synthesis of modified vegetable oils based polyurethanes for cosmetic applications

2006
Enhanced production of carbohydrate oligomers for new applications using agricultural resources
Better formulations of modified vegetable oil esters for the prevention and elimination of pathogens (legionellae) in cooling towers
Major organic intermediates by metathesis of mono-unsaturated vegetable oils
Furfural: A gateway molecule for photo-initiated synthesis of polar solvents and surfactants

2005
Dehydration of glycerol to obtain acrolein
Preparation and characterisation of potential bioplastifiers for PVC
Wood treatment using glycerol derivatives

2004
Metabolically engineered Escherichia coli for coproduction of 1,2 propanediol and acetone from renewable carbon sources
Value from bioethanol coproducts for cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and chemical applications

2003
Developing functional properties of protein hydrolysates for new cosmetic applications

2002
Selective synthesis of 1,3-propanediol by heterogeneous catalytic dehydroxylation of glycerol under hydrogen

2001
Substitution of succinic alkenyl anhydrides (SAAs) from vegetable oil methyl esters for petrochemical SAAs

2000
Production of 1,3 propanediol from renewable raw materials (starch, saccharose) using new biocatalysts
Production of alpha-omega dicarboxylic acids from methyl esters by fermentation

1999
Production of butanol and butyric acid from cellulose
Production of azelaic and pelargonic acid by oxidative blending
Development of a cost-effective process for the synthesis of glycerol carbonate
New process for direct production of fatty acids from rapeseed

1998
Production of vegetable oil with very high oleic acid content: removing agro-physical and genetic barriers and allotment of sunflower harvests in order to guarantee supply for industrial processing
New de-oiling process by twin-screw cooker-extruder
Potential uses of oleic sunflower-derived products

1997
Selection of oleic and erucic rapeseed for non-food uses
Obtaining 1,3 propanediol from glycerol by fermentation

1996
Optimised fermentation production of succinic acid

1995
Obtaining marketable commodities by fermentation of glycerol coproducts of biodiesel
Simultaneous processing of rapeseed methyl esters (RME) and glycerol

1994
Processing of surplus glycerol into 1,3 propanediol by Clostridium butyricum