Axens and Michelin ResiCare partner to produce 5-HMF, the ‘sleeping giant’ of green chemistry

Axens, a subsidiary of IFPEN, and Michelin ResiCare have announced the signing of a strategic partnership for the production of 5-HMF, a key molecule for green chemistry, on 10 July 2026.

This partnership, which builds on 10 years of joint R&D between IFPEN and Michelin ResiCare dedicated to the production of this molecule, aims to accelerate the industrialisation and large-scale roll-out of a bio-based solution, derived from fructose, serving as a building block for the production of resins, polymers (notably PEF, a bio-based substitute for PET) and other more sustainable materials, replacing petroleum-derived molecules such as formaldehyde. This molecule is nicknamed the ‘sleeping giant’ of chemistry due to its exceptional versatility.

An initial production unit, with a capacity of…