Bio-based nylon & PBAT biodegradable plastics
Polymers from corn or sugarcane that match petroleum nylon, and PBAT that biodegrades in composting — LG Chem began PBAT mass production in 2024 at 50,000 tonnes a year, and bio-nylon demand is forecast to grow from 0.4 to 1.4 million tonnes by 2028.
1 · What it gives
Bio-based nylon (Bio-PA) is made from bio-based raw materials such as corn and sugarcane and aims at heat resistance and durability equal to petroleum nylon. PBAT is a synthetic plastic that is itself petroleum-based but biodegrades quickly in nature. Both serve as alternatives to conventional petroleum plastics. LG Chem started PBAT mass production in 2024 with 50,000 tonnes a year capacity; the global bio-nylon market is expected to grow from 400,000 tonnes in 2023 to 1.4 million tonnes by 2028.
2 · What it replaces 6
3 · How to implement 3 steps
- 1Ferment the precursorsProduce the precursors by microbial fermentation.
- 2CompoundHomogenise and compound the material by melt extrusion.
- 3ConvertMake products by blown-film or cast-film extrusion or injection moulding.
4 · Who delivers
Matched suppliers (matched automatically)
| Changzhou Ding En Biodegradable Material Co., Ltd. | China | Producer | active |
| Torise Biomaterials | China | Producer | active |
| Zhejiang Huafon Biomaterials | China | Producer | active |
| Biofabrik Technologies GmbH | Germany | Producer | bankrupt |
| Daicel | Japan | Producer | active |
| Genera | United States | Producer | active |
| Jindan Lactic Acid 金丹科技 (SZ 300829) | China | Research / RTO | active |
| PTT MCC Biochem | Thailand | Services / consulting | restructuring |
| Polycart spa | Italy | Research / RTO | active |
| SQ Group | China | Not classified | active |
| Shandong Landian Biological Technology | China | Research / RTO | active |
| TotalEnergies Corbion | Thailand | Producer | active |
Leading companies and institutes (from the brief)
Providers named in the sources: LG Chem, CJ CheilJedang and TK Chemical. Others are matched by the portal under Industrial chemistry and Bio-Based Advanced Materials & Bioplastics.
5 · Rules & route to market
declaration; up to ~6-7 months if biodegradability claims need testing
Information, not legal advice — confirm the procedure for your product. (2026-10-06)
United States
Biodegradable plastics are tested against ASTM D6400, ASTM D5338-15 and ISO 14855-1/2 for composting and biodegradation. The sources name no further US rule.
European Union
The sources reviewed on 2026-10-16 identified no the EU regulator or standard specific to this technology. Treat the route as case-by-case and ask for a check.
China
The sources reviewed on 2026-10-16 identified no China regulator or standard specific to this technology. Treat the route as case-by-case and ask for a check.
6 · Money: tenders & grants
| Grant | Development of cell-free protein synthesis platforms for discovery and/or production of biologicals European Commission · EU | Apr 13, 2027 179 days |
| Grant | Fostering common farmland birds and mammals for resilient food production systems European Commission · EU | Sep 22, 2027 341 days |
| Grant | Fundamental Research to Counter Weapons of Mass Destruction Defense Threat Reduction Agency · United States | Sep 30, 2034 2906 days |
| Grant | Unleashing the potential of sustainable small-scale aquatic food production and recreational fisheries for … European Commission · EU | Sep 23, 2027 342 days |
7 · Tech stack & innovations
Main risks from the sources: high entry cost, keeping mechanical and thermal properties, and the resource intensity of precursor production.
Sources 4
- Lgchem.com — www.lgchem.com 2026-10-16
- Lgcorp.com — www.lgcorp.com 2026-10-16
- Onlinelibrary.wiley.com — onlinelibrary.wiley.com 2026-10-16
- Pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov — pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov 2026-10-16