Solution 2 · Scaling now

Glycolates from
the same feedstock.

Change the operating point, not the hardware. Glycolates sit alongside formates in Solution 2, reached from the same crude glycerine through the same reactor.

Solution 1 · Proven
Hydrogen
Solution 2 · Scaling now
Formates
Solution 2 · Scaling now
Glycolates
Solution 3 · In development
Glucaric & adipic acid

The chemistry

The same feedstock, a different molecule

C₃H₈O₃ + 2KOH → C₂H₃KO₃ + HCOOK + 3H₂

Glycolates sit alongside formates in Solution 2. Both come from crude glycerine, and both come from the same reactor — what changes is the operating point, not the hardware. That is the clearest demonstration of the platform argument we have: one waste stream, tuned to different speciality chemicals on demand.

Why it works on crude feedstock

No membrane, no purification step

As with formates, the membraneless architecture means only basic filtration and stream conditioning are needed — not the full chemical purification a membrane system forces on crude glycerine. The same property that makes the platform tolerant of dirty feedstock is what allows it to be tuned across products.

Interactive model

Tune the selectivity yourself

The selectivity explorer lets you move the operating point and watch the product split shift between formates and glycolates in real time.

Open the selectivity explorer →

Applications

Where glycolates go

Biodegradable polymers Cosmetics & personal care Pharmaceutical intermediates Hydrogen co-product

Sustainable glycolic acid holds a rapidly growing global market value in cosmetics, personal care, food preservation and textiles, without requiring costly industrial reformulation. Potentially its greatest long-term potential lies in serving as a key building block for carbon-negative, high-performance, recyclable, compost-biodegradable and marine-biodegradable plastics.

See the formates pathway →