Braskem develops first biobased solvent

Committed to developing sustainable and innovative solutions, Braskem announces its first solvent made from renewable resources. The product will reinforce the company’s already robust portfolio of specialty chemicals and has applications in segments such as inks, thinners and adhesives.

Made from sugarcane, HE-70S is the result of an investment of R$1 million and Braskem’s constant search for sustainable solutions. The new biobased oxygenated solvent features lower toxicity and greater solvency power compared to traditional hydrocarbon solvents. The solution already has been adopted in clients’ production process and others are in the test phase to customize the product to the specific needs of each application.

In Brazil, the hydrocarbon and oxygenated solvent segments has annual production of approximately 700,000 tons. As one of the country’s industry leaders, Braskem seeks to offer alternatives to ensure the industry’s sustainable growth. In line with the company’s strategic vision to foster Green Chemicals, bioproducts can be used as a tool for capturing carbon from the air, which helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“We focus on offering clients the possibility of innovating and standing apart in their industry. We work to maintain close relationships to understand better our clients’ challenges and to meet their needs as effectively as possible, including by customizing solutions to leverage their performance in the market,” explained Cláudia Madrid, sales manager at Braskem’s Solvents Business.

HE-70S solvent is the first product developed by the Solvents Laboratory, which was inaugurated by Braskem in 2018 at the Petrochemical Complex in the ABC region of Greater São Paulo. “Since the lab’s inauguration, we have made progress in the research that already was being conducted internally, and we arrived at this new product that will serve an important part of the value chain,” added Cláudia.