Improvement and Outlook

The collective value and supply chain of bio-based products is relatively new. While some bio-polyamides have been on the market longer than others (read PAl 1 vs. PAIOT), they are still novel polymers with plenty of room for improvement. 

On the farm level, as mentioned in section 10.3.1, new processing technologies have already been envisioned and tested, which when employed could increase yield, lower waste water and generally improve the sustainability factors. Yet, due to the market suiicture and geographical location of the castor oil to intermediates, it is unlikely that any groundbreaking improvements will occur in the near future. Gradual improvements and more consolidated cultivation is, however, more foreseeable. In any case, improvements and investments will be driven by castor oil s primary buyers, who are not bio-polyamide producers. 

Confined to PA1012, the diacid (BB) DDDA can be bio-sourced. Facilities do exist that can process palm kernel oil into a lauric acid derivative and consequently into DDDA. At the moment, the sourcing of such a raw material is not competitive or reliable. The financial incentive of the eco-bonus performance factor might steer this development. 

Many of the wonders and promises of biotechnology remain to be seen if they are trans-ferrable and applicable to bio-polyamides. Those bio-polyamides on the market are currently all sourced from castor oil. The notion of discovering and cultivating other suitable biomass feedstock material or using biotechnology to enable simple sugars to become feedstock is 

As a final word, bio-polyamides are a clear example showing that bio-based and high performance can correiate and, considering that the original definition of sustainable is something that lasts , bio-polyamides are truly sustainable. 

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