The development of industrial processes and equipment

How does ARD help companies scale up green chemistry projects?

 Procédés industriels

The green chemistry sector is booming. In order to accelerate the innovation process up to full-scale production, ARD and its plant chemistry department provides manufacturers and start-ups with dedicated equipment and resources capable of extrapolating projects from the laboratory to pilot scale.

Development of industrial processes and products

Its knowledge of plant chemistry, focused mainly on fundamental organic chemistry (chemistry of plant-based substances/catalysis) and the physics and chemistry of interfaces and colloids, have enabled ARD to design and develop many innovative molecules used in a variety of fields:

  • Biopolymers (polyesters and thermosets made from organic acids produced by fermentation and plant oils) that go into the production of bio-plastics.
  • Speciality chemicals (active ingredients for cosmetics, alternative solvents, bio-control solutions for the agro-chemical industry, etc.)
  • Plant-based surfactants made from sugars

Approved first at laboratory scale, the products and processes are then tested at different stages of development, up to the pilot and demonstration phase.

Equipment

In addition to laboratory equipment for analysing and evaluating the different products used, ARD also has specific equipment for the development of industrial processes.
The pilot is a critical phase in scaling up production. ARD has therefore invested in some of the most cutting-edge production equipment, including double-envelope reactors, a rectification column for azeotropic distillation, decanters, thin-layer or forced-flow evaporators, emulsifiers, and an explosion-proof area. Through the modular organisation of this equipment, ARD can adapt the production chain to the processes and facilitate the pre-industrial development of diverse bioprocesses.

Wheatoleo: A success story

ARD's expertise in detergents and its ability to approve pre-industrial production for new surfactants made from plant by-products led to the creation of Wheatoleo. This company is now capable of producing industrial quantities of surfactants for industry as well as for plant health products, with innovative formulas (in ready-to-use or extemporaneous mixes) that can replace some molecules that are cause for concern.