- Toray and PTT Global Chemical demonstrated saccharification of cassava pulp to produce 5 dry tons/day of glucose from 66 t pulp (85% moisture) using membrane technology.
- GC produced bio-muconic acid at pilot scale (≈50 m³ fermenter) from those sugars using its proprietary strain.
- Toray converted bio-muconic acid to high‑purity bio‑adipic acid and lab‑polymerized nylon 66 using bio‑based HMDA.
- Companies aim to scale up, cut costs and begin selling textiles made from 100% bio‑based nylon 66 by FY2028.
Overview
Toray and PTT Global Chemical established an end-to-end manufacturing sequence converting cassava pulp (starch residue) into bio-muconic acid, then to bio-based adipic acid, and demonstrated lab-scale polymerization of 100% bio-based nylon 66.
Process demonstration
Saccharification: Toray produced 5 dry tons/day glucose from 66 t cassava pulp (≈85% moisture) using membrane-based saccharification; Fermentation: GC validated production of bio-muconic acid at pilot scale (~50 m³ fermenter) with a proprietary strain; Refinement: both companies refined high-purity bio-muconic acid suitable for conversion; Chemical conversion: Toray converted bio-muconic to high-purity bio-adipic acid; Polymerization: Toray completed lab-scale polymerization and fiber processing of nylon 66 using bio-based adipic acid and bio-based hexamethylenediamine (HMDA).
Feedstock and sustainability
Cassava pulp is a non-food starch residue containing polysaccharides that can be enzymatically hydrolyzed to sugars; using this residual biomass aims to avoid new farmland expansion and reduce indirect land use change risk while providing a stable feedstock.
Next steps
Partners will pursue scale-up and cost reduction, build a supply chain, and target sales of textile products made from 100% bio-based nylon 66 by FY2028; the work was supported under METI's FY2023 supplementary budget project for future-oriented co‑creation in the Global South.
