Polyamide, commonly known as nylon, is an engineering plastic with excellent mechanical properties, heat resistance, wear resistance, chemical solvent resistance, self-lubricity, and certain flame retardancy. It is widely used in various fields such as automotive, electronic appliances, machinery, rail transportation, textiles, and sports equipment.

Among various nylon materials, nylon 6 and nylon 66 are widely used. Currently, both of these nylon materials are derived from non-renewable resources such as oil. With the global depletion of oil resources, bio-based nylon materials sourced from renewable resources are receiving extensive attention from researchers, enterprises, and the market.

Bio-based polyamides refer to high molecular materials produced by utilizing renewable biomass as raw materials, through biological, chemical, and physical methods to manufacture precursors for synthetic polyamides, including bio-based lactams, bio-based dicarboxylic acids, and bio-based diamines, which are then synthesized through polymerization reactions. These materials possess characteristics such as being green, environmentally friendly, and made from renewable raw materials.

Bio-based Nylon Category

Currently, biobased polyamides can be broadly categorized into AB-type biobased nylon and AABB-type biobased nylon according to their synthetic methods.

AB Type Bio-Based Nylon

Primarily refers to nylon materials obtained through the condensation of amino acids or the ring-opening polymerization of lactones, with PA11 being a more mature and earlier industrialized representative material.

PA11's main features include its low water absorption rate and ease of processing, and it is currently used in industries such as automotive, electronics, and electrical.

The modified technology enables PA11 to offer superior performance and enhanced cost-effectiveness: for instance, toughening modifications with PA1010, PE, and EVA; toughening and reinforcing modifications with olefins and rubber; and blending with thermal expansion nano-graphite to improve PA11's thermal and mechanical properties.

AABB-type bio-based nylon

The copolymer is typically formed from dibasic acids derived from biomass materials and non-biodegradable dibasic amines. Currently, it can be roughly categorized into adipic acid, succinic acid, and sebacic acid, among others.

Research Status of Bio-based Adipic Acid: The AABB-type bio-based nylon that was early to industrialize production is PA1010, which is made from adipic acid. Other nylon materials based on adipic acid include PA410, PA610, and PA10T, among others. Current mainstream modification technologies for PA1010 on the market include enhancing toughness through nanotechnology, as well as alloy toughening and flame-retardant modification.

Biobased Succinic Acid Research Status: Succinic acid is one of the key raw materials for biobased PA46, and its industrial development has become rather mature.

Biobased Adipic Acid Research Status: Adipic acid is one of the raw materials currently experiencing a surge in prices for PA66. Biobased adipic acid is mainly produced from glucose and cellulose at present.