Biobased Products-Market Needs and Opportunities

The use of renewable resources as raw materials for technical applications is not at all new. Mankind has already used natural materials in the early civilizations in order to meet their basic needs, and the first industrial activities were also largely based on the use of renewable resources [1], This continued until the begirming of the industrial revolution. 

Until 1850, all organic consumer products and industrial raw materials were plant based. Within a relatively short period of 150 years, however, society changed from a mainly plant-based economy to an economy based on fossil resources coal until the end of the 19th century, mineral oil until approximately 1970, and nowadays more and more natural gas. In 1870, wood supplied 70% of the fuel demand, in 1920 70% came from coal, and in 1970 70% from mineral oil. 

the use of renewable materials declined significantly over time, mainly due to the extremely low prices for petrochemical resources. Currently, approximately 96% of aU organic chemical substances are based on fossil resources. Nevertheless, a substantial number of industries are still based on renewable raw materials (RRMs). StiU half of the fibers used in the textile industry are natural materials (cotton, wool, flax) and the oleochemical industry satisfies sodely s daily hygienic needs for soaps with detergents that are based on vegetable oils. The building industry continues to use natural fibers for construction insulation purposes. 

Process and catalysis technology revolutionized the chemical industry in the 20th century. Now the same thing is happening in the production of industrial 

Renewable Raw Materials New Feedstocks for the Chemical Industry, First Edition. 

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I 8 Biobased Products-Market Needs and Opportunities Table 8.2 Volumes of natural products [1 ]. 

The chemical and lubricant markets represent an enormous opportunity for biobased products, but many obstacles must be overcome on the way to commercialization. To gain acceptance and supplant products made from petroleum, industrial bioproducts will need to be able to compete in terms of both cost and performance advances in biotechnology will play a key role in surmounting these economic and technical barriers. Given the size of the potential markets and the considerable research under way, the future looks bright for a biobased economy. 

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