Industries
Industrial chemistry
What changes this industry: bio-solutions with evidence, technologies, suppliers and open money.
Overview of the industry
Hazardous solvents, catalysts, biocides and bleaching chemicals in industry, and bio-based or biotechnological alternatives.
Products and processes need national authorization and site-specific engineering. The articles are overviews, not design or regulatory advice. Check current regulations.
Articles#
| ID | Alternative | Replaces | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| I01 | Bio-based and safer solvents | N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), dimethylacetamide (DMAc), dichloromethane (DCM), chloroform, toluene/xylene in some uses | Replace (many applications) / Partial (some polymer and battery uses) |
| I02 | Industrial biocatalysis (enzymes and whole cells) | Copper-catalysed sulfuric-acid hydration of acrylonitrile; rhodium-catalysed high-pressure asymmetric hydrogenation; chemical deacylation of penicillin G with… | Replace (for many specific processes) |
| I03 | Biodegradable, bio-based lubricants and hydraulic fluids (vegetable-oil and synthetic esters) | Mineral-oil hydraulic fluids, chainsaw bar oils, gear and stern-tube oils, greases (and total-loss lubricants lost directly to the environment) | Replace (most uses) |
| I04 | Oil-reservoir and pipeline souring (H2S) control by nitrate injection (biocompetitive exclusion by nitrate-reducing bacteria) | Glutaraldehyde, THPS (tetrakis(hydroxymethyl)phosphonium sulfate), quaternary ammonium biocides, acrolein and other biocides injected into water-flooded reservoirs,… | Replace / Partial (depending on reservoir) |
| I05 | Pulp bleaching with xylanase enzyme pre-bleaching and ECF/TCF processes (oxygen, peroxide, ozone) | Elemental chlorine (Cl2) and hypochlorite bleaching of kraft/sulfite pulp; reduces chlorine dioxide demand in ECF | Replace |
| I06 | Petrochemical surfactants in cleaning · fermentation biosurfactants (rhamnolipids, sophorolipids) | LAS, AEO, APEO; solvent-based cleaners | Partial / Replace (specific uses) |
| I07 | Laundry and dishwashing → detergent enzymes (Europe washes ~6 °C colder since 1997) | Phosphates, extra surfactant, hot washing | Replace / Partial |
Suppliers — real products and services (from the vendor index)#
Collection-level join (2026-09-28): active vendors matched by topic tags (
organic-acids39,enzymes58,synbio-platform33 companies in the index — the biocatalysis and bio-based chemical chains); open each card for evidence, contacts and status.
| Company | Region · Country | What the index shows | Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cathay Biotech | Asia · China | bio-based chemicals (long-chain acids/esters) | card |
| Qianjiang Biochemical | Asia · China | biochemistry products (listed) | card |
| SyncoZymes | Asia · China | biocatalysis platform | card |
| NOVA | LatAm · Argentina | biotechnology platform | card |
Reviewed but SKIPPED (no proven bio-alternative)#
| Substance / use | Hazard | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Chrome plating (Cr VI) | Carcinogen | Trivalent chromium and other coatings are chemical, not bio |
| Industrial cooling-water biocides | Aquatic toxicity | Biofilm management and bio-dispersants are emerging; not covered |
What it replaces 7
Screened candidates 5
| I07 | detergent enzymes for low-temperature washing instead of phosphates and hot washing write — from company research 2026-10-06 | D3 |
| I08 | acrylamide by nitrile hydratase enzyme instead of copper-catalysed hydration drop — Only market-research, company or pilot figures verified — no article without evidence. | D3 |
| I09 | enzymatic pitch control and deinking in papermaking instead of chemical dispersants and caustic drop — Only market-research, company or pilot figures verified — no article without evidence. | D1 |
| I10 | bio-based 1,3-propanediol by fermentation instead of petrochemical acrolein and ethylene-oxide routes fold into BR01 — Platform chemical. | D2 |
| I11 | enzymatic fat splitting and enzymatic esterification instead of high-pressure thermal fat splitting and acid or metal catalysts in oleochemicals drop — from company research 2026-10-06 | D1 |
Technologies 26
| Bio all-purpose home cleaners Household surface, dish and multi-purpose cleaners built on plant-derived surfactants and enzyme stain-removal chemistry rather than petrochemical solvents — … | Enzymes & biocatalysis |
| Bio-acrylic acid Renewable routes to acrylic acid, the C3 monomer behind superabsorbent polymers, paints, coatings and adhesives, across two distinct value chains: … | Platform chemicals |
| Bio-aviation & bio-marine lubricants Biodegradable ester-based lubricants and greases for marine stern tubes, wire ropes and deck equipment, and bio-based greases for aircraft maintenance — sold by … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| Bio-based clean-in-place (bio-CIP) Enzymatic detergents — protease, lipase, amylase and cellulase blends — that replace or reduce caustic and acid chemistry in clean-in-place (CIP) systems for … | Enzymes & biocatalysis |
| Bio-based plasticizers Bio-based plasticizers replace regulated petroleum-derived phthalates (DEHP, DBP, DINP — under EU REACH SVHC and US EPA scrutiny for endocrine-disrupting … | Polymers & materials |
| Bio-based surface treatment of metals Rust preventatives, VCI films, epoxy coatings and lignin-based coatings formulated with bio-based oils, resins or lignin instead of fully petrochemical … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| Bio-corrosion inhibition Plant-derived and biodegradable corrosion inhibitors — VpCI vapor-phase additives, anaerobically biodegradable VCI packaging films and bio-based cooling-water … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| Bio-degreasing Replacing chlorinated-solvent and petroleum-based degreasers with lipase enzymes and living microbial cultures that continuously digest oil and grease inside … | Enzymes & biocatalysis |
| Biocatalysis in petrochemistry Replacing energy-intensive metal and chemical catalysts in petrochemical synthesis with engineered enzymes, immobilized flow reactors and cell-free systems — … | Enzymes & biocatalysis |
| Biosolvents & green solvents Bio-derived solvents — ethyl lactate from fermented lactic acid (Corbion's Biviture brand, Galactic's Galactic bio-solvents line, Vertec Biosolvents' corn-based … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| Biosurfactants Microbial surface-active glycolipids (rhamnolipids, sophorolipids, MELs) produced by aerobic fermentation of plant oils and sugars — biodegradable, low-toxicity … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| Biosynthetic acrylamide (flocculants & bio-acrylamide) Enzymatic conversion of acrylonitrile to acrylamide via immobilized Rhodococcus rhodochrous cells, replacing copper-catalyzed synthesis for water-treatment, … | Platform chemicals |
| Biosynthetic butadiene Renewable routes to 1,3-butadiene, the C4 monomer behind synthetic rubber and ABS plastics, via two competing chemistries: catalytic bioethanol-to-butadiene … | Platform chemicals |
| Biosynthetic butanol, isobutanol and bio-C4 platforms Fermentation-derived C4 building blocks — isobutanol, isobutene, n-butanol and gas-fermentation C4 diols — produced as platform intermediates for renewable jet … | Platform chemicals |
| Biosynthetic ethylene & bio-ethylene oxide Producing the world's most ubiquitous petrochemical building block from renewable biomass and captured carbon. | Platform chemicals |
| Biosynthetic Monomers: Succinate, Itaconate, FDCA & BDO Bio-based platform chemicals — succinic acid, itaconic acid, FDCA, and 1,4-BDO — produced via precision fermentation from C5/C6 sugars, replacing fossil … | Platform chemicals |
| Biosynthetic specialty & fine chemicals (precision fermentation, biocatalysis, biorefinery) High-value molecules — flavors, fragrances, food ingredients and bio-based monomers — produced by precision fermentation, biocatalysis and lignocellulose … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| Cellulose, fibers & wood chemicals Industrial-scale cellulosic fiber production — viscose, Lyocell and cellulose acetate spun from wood pulp — that is displacing the toxic CS2 solvent process of … | Cellulose & lignin |
| Enzymatic polymer synthesis in vitro Cell-free directed synthesis of high-molecular-weight polymers utilizing purified recombinant enzymes ex vivo, eliminating metabolic constraints to produce … | Enzymes & biocatalysis |
| Enzyme-based laundry detergents (consumer SKU) Consumer laundry detergents whose cleaning power rests on a loaded enzyme core — protease and lipase stain removal (Dropps, Ecover), multi-enzyme … | Specialty & fine chemicals |
| Gas fermentation to chemicals Acetogenic bacteria fix steel-mill and refinery off-gas (CO, CO2, H2) into recycled-carbon ethanol, acetone and sustainable aviation fuel through the … | Biofuels & bioenergy |
| Industrial Enzymes & Biocatalysis Industrial enzymes and biocatalysis replace chemical processes with protein-catalyzed reactions — cutting energy by 40–70%, reagent costs, and waste streams … | Enzymes & biocatalysis |
| L-lactic acid industrial scale (PLA upstream) Industrial-scale fermentation of L-lactic acid, the upstream monomer feedstock for polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastics — fermentation scale-up, PLA-integrated … | Platform chemicals |
| Lignin-derived aromatic chemicals Depolymerising the lignin fraction of woody biomass into renewable aromatic platform chemicals — vanillin, phenolics, BTX and lignosulfonate dispersants — … | Cellulose & lignin |
| REACH compliance for bio-chemicals Regulatory consultancies and compliance-intelligence software that register, classify and monitor bio-based chemicals under the EU's REACH regulation — … | Market access & commercial |
| Terpenes & terpenoids as platform molecules Fermentation-derived terpenes and terpenoids — farnesene, limonene, valencene, squalane — replacing petrochemical and plant-extracted equivalents in cosmetics, … | Platform chemicals |
Opportunities 2
| Grant | Europe-wide environmental benchmarking system of the industrial bioeconomy sectors European Commission | Sep 22, 2027 350 days |
| Grant | Open topic: Using the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative to strengthen urban manufacturing in support of … European Commission | Apr 8, 2027 183 days |