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Aquaflow finds high value chemicals in wild algae

Monday 13 December 2010, 10:43AM

By trio communications limited

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AUCKLAND

Algal technology company, Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation announced today that it is leading the world with the development of twenty high value chemicals from wild algae.  

Aquaflow has a library of over 100 useful chemical compounds it has isolated which have potential uses in the industrial, transportation, textiles, health and hygiene markets.  

The global chemical industry is reliant on fossil fuels and is worth US$400bn per annum. 

Aquaflow director Nick Gerritsen says that some of the chemicals appear on the top strategic chemical list of the United States Department of Energy - Top Value Added Chemicals from Biomass Sugars and Synthesis Gas. 

Following is the list :

Number Chemical   Number Chemical
1 Toluene   11 N-methyl piperidinone
2 Ethyl benzene   12 2-Piperidinone
3 Styrene   13 Dimethyl-cyclopentanone
4 Xylene   14 Cyclopentanone
5 C10 to C17 paraffins & olefins   15 Propanoic and 2-methyl propanoic acids
6 Pyrimidine   16 Palmitic nitrile
7 Alkyl pyrazines   17 Butanoic acid
8 NMP – N methyl pyrrolidinone   18 Di-anhydro mannitol
9 NEP – N ethyl Pyrrolidinone   19 Di-anhydro sorbitol
10 2-pyrrolidinone   20 Alkyl phenols

 

“This means we can target large, global market sectors that touch on everybody. Our technology can create clean, renewable fuels, remediate wastewater and now produce high value chemicals.  This breakthrough shows once again the equivalence of Aquaflow green crude to fossil crude and its diversity of products.”  

Gerritsen says one of the most exciting discoveries of its significant chemistry programme has been in the area of bio-polymers from pyrrolidinones. Bio-polymers can be converted into packaging materials, for example, which are renewable, and can be carbon neutral.  

Aquaflow is one of the world’s leading algal technology companies. The company recently announced its intention to make algae-derived fuels and chemicals a reality in the very near future.  

“This latest advance shows Aquaflow is reaching across a series of important vertical markets.”