Anellotech’s core technology—catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) for Biomass to Aromatics—is based on research performed in Professor George Huber’s research laboratory at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst (earlier post) and on process and catalyst developments by Anellotech. The company’s pilot plant operations are scheduled to commence in the second half of 2013.

These kilogram-scale development lots will provide sufficient quantities for qualification of Anellotech’s green aromatics as drop-in feed stocks for use in downstream conversion into a variety of valuable derivatives. This will provide early customer assurance that green plastics can be sourced from renewable aromatics produced from Anellotech’s CFP technology.

• Benzene, a high volume industrial intermediate currently made from fossil fuels, hit an all- time high price in 2013. It is an important raw material in the production of several important industrial polymers including: ABS, styrene butyl rubber, nylon, polycarbonate, and polystyrene.

• Toluene is used to make toluene diisocyanate (for polyurethane foam used in packaging), and as a solvent in a variety of applications. Toluene is also used as an octane booster in gasoline fuels.

• CFP produces xylenes as well as benzene and toluene (“BTX”), and similar-sized xylene samples will also be made available.

Anellotech’s single step CFP process enables non-edible renewable biomass to be processed in a fluidized-bed reactor into aromatics, including benzene, toluene and xylenes (BTX). The CFP process pretreatment is simple drying and grinding.

It completes all chemical conversion steps in a single reactor and incorporates an economical Anellotech proprietary catalyst based on commercial zeolite catalysts commonly used in the refining and petrochemical industries.