"Advanced, bio-based materials can speed up the transition to a more sustainable industry”
The European BIOPYRANIA project is driving the development of advanced, sustainable materials for electrifying vehicles and producing green hydrogen, thereby reducing dependence on fossil-based raw materials through the use of lignocellulosic biomass
The European automotive and energy sectors are undergoing a profound transformation, with the aim of replacing fossil-based materials with more sustainable alternatives without sacrificing performance, safety and durability.
TECNALIA is taking part in the BIOPYRANIA initiative, which is tackling this challenge by developing bio-based pyrazine monomers for the manufacture of high-performance polymers.
- BIOPYRANIA has come up with an innovative solution based on synthesising monomers from second-generation European woody biomass using fermentation processes.
- This approach paves the way for using more sustainable materials that have a lower environmental impact and are in line with the principles of the circular economy.
New polymers for electric mobility and green hydrogen
The project builds on previous studies carried out at Maastricht University, which showed that adding pyrazine structures to polymers significantly improves their mechanical and thermal properties. Building on this scientific foundation, BIOPYRANIA is working on developing bio-based polyamides (PA) and polybenzimidazoles (PBI) for demanding industrial applications.
These new polyamides offer a key combination of lightness, strength and high performance in the field of automotive electrification, thereby contributing to improved energy efficiency and the design of more sustainable components.
- BIOPYRANIA responds to a critical need in the energy sector: clean hydrogen production.
- The project investigates the improvement of anion-exchange membranes using pyrazine-based polybenzimidazoles, with the aim of increasing their efficiency, stability and service life. These technologies are essential for moving towards systems that are capable of meeting a significant proportion of global final energy demand.
- For its part, TECNALIA is developing a process for manufacturing anion-exchange membranes based on the new polybenzimidazole-type biopolymers synthesised by BIOPYRANIA.
Circularity, digitalisation and market orientation
As well as developing new materials, BIOPYRANIA has incorporated a circularity approach into its design process by studying the recyclability of the polymers developed and assessing their impact throughout their entire life cycle.
In total, BIOPYRANIA is made up of 13 European partners, bringing together universities, technology centres, large industrial companies and innovative SMEs to cover the entire value chain, from biomass to industrial applications in the automotive sector and green hydrogen.