Invista and LanzaTech have teamed up to develop gas-fermentation technologies to convert carbon dioxide and hydrogen gas feedstocks into a range of industrial chemicals.
Under the research and development agreement, the two companies will use proprietary Invista host organisms and metabolic pathways. If successful, Invista and LanzaTech expect the first commercialization of this technology as early as 2018.
Invista, whose brands include Lycra, Coolmax and Stainmaster, believes biotechnology has the potential to significantly improve the cost and availability of several chemicals and raw materials that are used to produce its current products. It views gas fermentation as a key enabling technology that will allow the use of potentially advantaged gas feedstocks — such as waste industrial gases including carbon dioxide.
In December 2013 Invista partnered with the Centre for Process Innovation to develop new technologies to enable gas-fermentation-based processes for the production of industrial chemicals while Concord Blue and LanzaTech entered into an agreement to produce fuels and chemicals from waste materials. Also last year, Invista joined the Sustainable Apparel Coalition.