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Research at the University of Minnesota has yielded technology to produce a biopolymer precursor, Nuvone. The molecule has been patented and will be commercialized by .

The process begins with the bacterial fermentation of sugar, currently from corn or sugar cane but nonnutritive sugars could be used in the future. Mevalonate is the product of this fermentation, and it is processed to make the Nuvone product, β-methyl δ-valerolactone (BMVL). BMVL can then be polymerized to make a biomaterial which can be substituted for fossil-based polyurethanes. “Nuvone can be used in a variety of flexible polymers,” says Mike Arbeiter, Valerian CEO. “Think of coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers.”

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Valerian’s fermentation process produces BMVL, a bio-based polymer precursor which can be recycled or composted. Source: Valerian

Valerian was founded by Marc Hillmyer, Frank Bates and Kechun Zhang specifically to commercialize Nuvone and create a successful ����ý. The technology is licensed from the University of Minnesota, where Hillmyer is director of the Center for Sustainable Polymers. The center was established by the university in 2009 and grew with the support of grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Valerian has been supported by the BioMADE Consortium, a federal program in 2020, in order to bridge the funding gap between laboratory research studies and commercial viability. “Our job is to work at the intersection between sustainability and polymer science. We’re trying to make materials that are necessary for modern society more sustainable,” Hillmyer says.

Part of that sustainability is providing options for end-of-life management. Polymers made from Nuvone can be processed back into Nuvone by chemical recycling. The polymers can also be industrially compostable, providing a second sustainable pathway for products which are almost entirely landfill-bound today. 

Valerian has one customer in Europe already and, according to the company, other prospective customers are in various stages of evaluating the product. Valerian’s plan is to produce Nuvone at scale through a contract manufacturer and sell the material to chemical companies that want to convert their petroleum-based polymer into a bio-based polymer. “It’s application-dependent, but we have found that our properties are, in some cases, better than incumbent materials, from a performance standpoint,” Hillmyer says. 

Processing parameters may need to be altered when transitioning from a petrochemical-based material to a Nuvone-based material. While some bio-based materials have the same chemical composition as a petrochemical incumbent, Nuvone is a distinct chemical compound with a unique structure. However, the feedback Valerian has received is that the material can, in some cases, be effectively dropped into standard industrial processes.

Hillmyer says the company will continue to work on de-risking its technology, from both the technical and cost standpoint. “The goal for Valerian and others is to work on technologies that are demonstrably better for the environment: carbon, end-of-life, etc.,” Hillmyer says. “Then, make it cheaper than the petroleum version. A technology gets better and better as it evolves — the petroleum industry has had a century head start.”