Google
 
Search web Search Brazilian Plastics
Plastics News

Covation Biomaterials’ First Commercial Plant for bioTHF and bioPTMEG Reaches Mechanical Completion

April 22, 2026 – Covation Biomaterials LLC, a biomaterials company with technology in the bio-based materials industry, has announced that its first commercial plant for the C4 product platform, including bioTHF and bio-based polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMEG), achieved mechanical completion in April 2026. In addition, CovationBio now officially launches the Xatryx brand for the portfolio of new, non-food, bioPTMEG products to be produced at the plant.

This milestone marks a significant step forward in defossilization of material production, reinforcing the company’s commitment to delivering high performance, renewable-based solutions to the global market.

The C4 facility is located in Qidong, Jiangsu Province, China. It utilizes an innovative, new-to-the-world process technology developed by CovationBio. With a total investment of RMB 10 billion, the plant is planned in three phases, targeting a future total capacity of 500,000 tons per year of bio-based materials. The first phase, which is now mechanically complete, has a 50,000 ton-per-year commercial production capacity for both bioTHF and bioPTMEG. Commercial production is expected to begin in the second half of 2026.

Feifeng You, President of CovationBio, commented: “The Xatryx name conveys our spirit of relentless exploration to develop processes and products that deliver high performance and support defossilization of the materials industry. As an important building block, Xatryx products provide many possibilities to improve one’s quality of life while taking good care of our planet. To achieve this, we leverage an abundant, non-food, agricultural by-product that is directly converted to a chemical feedstock, which our Advanced Thermo Chemical technology uses to create Xatryx products.”

A Sustainable Alternative to Fossil-Based PTMEG and not Competing with Food Sources

As a second-generation bio-based material, Xatryx bioPTMEG serves as a drop-in replacement to fossil-based PTMEG, helping customers reduce their reliance on non-renewable materials while maintaining the high-performance of our downstream material applications such as spandex, polyurethanes, and thermoplastic elastomers.

CovationBio says key sustainability benefits of Xatryx bioPTMEG include:

  • Substantial reduction of greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossilbased incumbents;
  • Bio-based product made from annually renewable resources;-2nd generation bio-based feedstocks, such as corncobs, which do not compete with primary food sources;
  • Reduced reliance on non-renewable fossil fuels;
  • Drop-in performance to allow downstream customers to switch to bio-based raw materials without process changes.

Presence at Chinaplas 2026

Aligned with this year’s Chinaplas theme, “Transformation - Collaboration - Sustainability,” members of the CovationBio team are ready to share more about how Xatryx products can integrate into downstream materials and advance sustainability strategies with value chain partners. Visitors are invited to meet the team and learn more in Hall 1.2, Booth F77.

On April 21st, Keith Hutchenson, Chief Engineer for the C4 Platform at CovationBio, will deliver a keynote speech titled “Introduction to a new nonfood bio-based sustainable raw material for carbon footprint reduction” at the Chinaplas 2026 Tech Talk Forum.

On the afternoon of April 21st, CovationBio will host the Xatryx Innovation Seminar at its booth. The event will feature presentations by CovationBio’s C4 Platform Leadership Team and strategic partners to share feedstock and process technical, brand vision and bio-material market insights.

Founded in 2022 and headquartered in Newark, Delaware, Covation Biomaterials LLC is a biomaterials company with technology in the bio-based materials industry, offering a product portfolio of sustainable solutions. The CovationBio company builds on its DuPont legacy of scientific innovation and continues to deliver novel solutions at scale across multiple industries, including apparel, carpeting, and footwear. Through product lines such as Sorona polymer and other bio-based materials, CovationBio’s mission is to deliver building blocks that enable customers to provide bio-based products accessible to everyone.