Circa has received approval from the European Chemicals Agency to import or manufacture up to 100 mt per year of its bio-based solvent Cyrene within the EU. The product, which the UK-based company developed in collaboration with the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence at the University of York, offers a two-stage conversion process for waste biomass. In addition to being used as an alternative fuel and lubricant, cyrene-based solvents are also useful for industrial applications such as food packaging and detergents.
Circa has received approval from the European Chemicals Agency to import or manufacture up to 100 mt per year of its bio-based solvent Cyrene within the EU. The product, which the UK-based company developed in collaboration with the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence at the University of York, offers a two-stage conversion process for waste biomass. Cyrene offers a safer alternative to polar aprotic solutions, such as NMP, DMF and DMAc, which are facing growing regulatory pressure over the health risks they pose to humans and animals.