Adipic acid is a building block of Nylon 6,6, used in products from textiles to automotive components and electronics. Conventional production releases nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas nearly 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide CO2, generating millions of tonnes of emissions globally each year.
OzoneBio, a Calgary-based, woman-founded clean technology company, has developed a first-in-the-world process to produce adipic acid from forestry residues and low-value biomass. These materials are often burned or left to decompose, releasing additional emissions; OzoneBio instead converts them into high-performance, low-carbon materials. Using Canada-sourced wood waste, and agricultural residues, the process replaces fossil-based production while generating biochar, a co-product that stores carbon and supports soil health.
Unlike incremental approaches, this technology eliminates nitrous oxide emissions at the source, reducing lifecycle emissions by up to 96%. This impact has been successfully demonstrated at pilot scale, and ongoing efforts are focused on scaling production. As deployment grows, the technology offers a step-change opportunity – at global scale, it could prevent hundreds of millions of tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually by decarbonizing the Nylon 6,6 supply chain.
By transforming underutilized biomass into high-value, low-carbon materials, OzoneBio delivers scalable industrial decarbonization in Alberta.
