Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits and Braskem have announced a new technology platform that lets corn ethanol producers generate bio-acetone alongside their ethanol output. The system combines an engineered yeast strain with a separation process to recover the coproduct without disrupting ethanol performance.
The companies spent five years developing and validating the technology before bringing it to the U.S. ethanol industry. Lallemand’s yeast enables bio-acetone production during fermentation. Braskem then separates the bio-acetone using bolt-on recovery technology and handles its sale and market development.
Acetone is a mature commodity, with global demand exceeding 8 million tons per year. Industries are increasingly seeking renewable alternatives to the fossil-based version. Bio-acetone from this platform is fully renewable, free of benzene and phenol, and can be verified through carbon-14 testing. It’s designed as a drop-in replacement usable in cosmetics, paints, coatings, acrylics, adhesives, and personal care products.
Craig Ammann, vice president of business development at LBDS, said the collaboration pairs the company’s fermentation expertise with Braskem’s chemicals knowledge. He described it as a way to help ethanol producers diversify revenue and reduce exposure to market swings.
Cirilo Vieira, Braskem’s business development director for renewables and biochemicals, called the launch a meaningful step for the petrochemical sector’s shift toward sustainability.
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