This project ends on: 30/09/2028

BIOBASED MONOMERS FROM SECOND GENERATION BIOMASS FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE POLYMERS, COPOLYMERS AND BLENDS

Advanced polymers play a vital role in strategic European industries, particularly electric mobility and green hydrogen. Yet most high-performance polyamides and polybenzimidazoles are still made from fossil-based raw materials through energy-intensive processes. This increases greenhouse gas emissions and leaves Europe heavily dependent on imported petrochemical feedstocks.
Bio-based alternatives already exist, but many still struggle to meet the requirements of demanding industrial markets. As a result, there is still a clear gap between the availability of renewable resources and the development of advanced materials that can compete with established fossil-based products.
BIOPYRANIA was created to address this gap: the project is developing new circular value chains for the production of high-performance aromatic polymers from European waste wood and forestry residues. These renewable resources will be converted into sustainable molecular building blocks and, ultimately, into advanced polymer materials designed to replace fossil-based alternatives. In doing so, BIOPYRANIA will help reduce dependence on petrochemical resources, make better use of European biomass and strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy in advanced materials.
The project focuses on two key markets: electric mobility and green hydrogen. For the automotive sector, BIOPYRANIA will develop lightweight, durable and recyclable bio-based polyamides for use in electric vehicle components. For hydrogen technologies, it will develop innovative materials for anion exchange membranes used in electrolysers and fuel cells. These materials will be designed to meet demanding requirements for mechanical strength, thermal and chemical stability, durability and processability.
Rather than treating recycling as an issue to be addressed at the end, BIOPYRANIA considers material design, production, use and end-of-life together from the outset. The aim is to avoid downcycling and make it possible to recover valuable materials from complex, high-performance polymer products.
Overall, the project aims to reduce the use of fossil feedstocks, cut waste generation and CO₂ emissions, and improve the circularity of advanced polymer materials. At the same time, it will support the development of stronger and more competitive European value chains in strategic industrial sectors.
BIOPYRANIA brings together 13 partners from academia, research organisations, SMEs and industry, covering the expertise needed to develop, scale up, validate and assess the proposed solutions.

Contact:

Katrien Bernaerts: katrien.bernaerts@maastrichtuniversity.nl

website: https://biopyraniaproject.eu/