Tyre maker Michelin’s subsidiary Michelin ResiCare has announced the signature of a distribution partnership with IMCD Europe, a distributor of specialty chemicals, for its 5- hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), a bio-sourced molecule produced at Michelin’s industrial site in Péage-de-Roussillon.
Start-up of the production unit is scheduled for the start of 2027; this will have a production capacity of 3,000 tonnes/year.
In addition to its direct approach with its major strategic accounts, Michelin says it is relying on this partnership to expand access to 5-HMF by a greater number of manufacturers in Europe, thanks to a strengthened logistics offer and local technical support.
Its production in France by Michelin ResiCare is a key step in securing European access to this molecule of strategic interest, for which demand is rapidly growing in the materials and formulation chemical industries.
In partnering with IMCD Europe, Michelin says it wants to quickly increase the availability of 5-HMF and its adoption by manufacturers. IMCD will provide its technical know-how, its knowledge of the markets and a distribution network that covers the entire European continent.
Michelin ResiCare teams have been directly assisting major industrial chemistry stakeholders in evaluating 5?HMF for various applications for over two years. Buoyed by these initial collaborations, the partnership with IMCD will now allow for broadening this dynamic to new players and to all of Europe.
With its consolidated presence in the polymers, advanced materials, and specialised formulations sectors, IMCD will assist manufacturers in the integration of 5-HMF within new applications, providing both technical and developmental support, it stated.
5-HMF is a molecule from fructose, transformed using green chemistry processes that are non-toxic and already registered under REACH. Intended to replace ingredients of fossil origin, it opens the way to more-sustainable chemistry in multiple sectors.
It is able to replace a wide range of conventional molecules, especially in the following applications:
· Bio-sourced thermosetting resins,
· Intermediates for oil-sourced aldehydes,
· Applications in agriculture, cosmetics, construction, transport, aeronautics, or electronics, and specialty additives.