February 28, 2019 Polymers Bitumen Beyond Combustion (BBC)

1. February 28, 2019 Polymers Bitumen Beyond Combustion (BBC)

2. Speaker introductions Paolo Bomben Alberta Innovates Senior manager Clean Technology Development and program co-lead Axel Meisen Alberta Innovates Senior advisor • Nathan Ashcroft Stantec Stantec team lead

3. Agenda Introduction Imagining a BBC future What are polymers Concerns with existing polymers Bio-degradable polymers Polymer feedstocks Bitumen as feedstock Technical challenges Insights and conclusions Series recap

4. Bitumen Beyond Combustion Introduction to the webinar

5. Introduction to the webinar Placeholder Placeholder Placeholder

6. Recap: Imagining a BBC future

7. Bitumen Beyond Combustion What are polymers?

8. Market Placeholder Placeholder Placeholder

9. Opportunity Placeholder Placeholder Placeholder

10. Bitumen Beyond Combustion Concerns with existing polymers

11. Oceans Placeholder Placeholder Placeholder

12. Waste Placeholder Placeholder Placeholder

13. Slow degradation time Placeholder Placeholder Placeholder

14. Bitumen Beyond Combustion Bio-degradable polymers

15. Bio-degradable polymers Placeholder Placeholder Placeholder

16. Bitumen Beyond Combustion Polymer feedstocks

17. Polymer feedstocks Placeholder Placeholder Placeholder

18. Bitumen Beyond Combustion Bitumen – potential polymer feedstock

19. Bitumen – potential polymer feedstock Placeholder Placeholder Placeholder

20. Bitumen Beyond Combustion Technical challenges

21. Technical challenges to developing polymers from bitumen Feedstock purity Selection of appropriate synthetic pathway based on feedstock Energy input Infusion of biodegradable/compostable properties Can plastics be created that don’t rely on repeating units

22. Technical challenges to developing polymers from bitumen Existing polymer synthesis processes require high purity feedstocks Bitumen Conversion/ Separation React Separate/ Combine Form Pure HC feedstock Polymer High T High P Catalysts Fast Other feedstocks

23. Technical challenges to developing polymers from bitumen Biological production processes as an alternative synthetic pathway Bitumen Conversion/ Separation React Separate/ Combine Form Mixed Feed Polymer Low T Low P Enzymes Slow Biodegradable/ compostable Other

24. Technical challenges to developing polymers from bitumen Energy source will be an important consideration React Separate/ Combine Form Feedstock Bitumen Pre-treatment BBC Product T P Catalysts Enzymes Biodegradable/ compostable? Energy Other

25. Technical challenges to developing polymers from bitumen How to introduce biodegradable or compostable properties to polymers? Require the presence of O, N, P or other atoms in the polymer backbone Design a polymer where the final product does not degrade to CO2 Asphaltenes naturally have O, N, P and other atoms that would impart biodegradable/compostable properties Can we create plastics with desired properties without repeating units? Current Approach • Alternative Approach? A A A A A A A C B C A B • How would purity and synthetic requirements change?

26. Bitumen Beyond Combustion Insights and conclusions

27. Insights and conclusions Key points Polymer/plastics industry is one of the largest global industries Serious environmental concerns with existing practices Asphaltenes in bitumen have atoms present in the chemical structure that would impart biodegradable/compostable properties to a polymer Feedstock purity is an important consideration is selecting a synthetic pathway for bitumen to polymers Biologically inspired synthetic processes may permit less pure feedstocks from bitumen Do plastics require repeating units in their backbone to impart the desired properties?

28. Bitumen Beyond Combustion Series Recap

29. Alberta Innovates funded BBC projects: $2 million https://albertainnovates.ca/bitumen-beyond-combustion-program-invests-2-million-in-research/

30. Closing remarks • Significant world population growth in coming years and decades will drive the demand for housing, vehicles, consumer goods etc. and the associated materials that comprise these products • Obtaining higher value from bitumen by producing materials instead of transport fuels represents a strong economic diversification opportunity • Four BBC focus areas: carbon fibres, asphalt and transportation, polymers, vanadium – each with potential to impact >100,000 bbl of bitumen production • Markets for these BBC products are large and growing • Remain technical and market development challenges • Need broad community to develop solutions and contribute their expertise to make the BBC initiative a success A quick recap of the webinar series and high level conclusions

31. Questions? Talk to us Paolo Bomben Alberta Innovates Email: Paolo.Bomben@albertainnovates.ca Quick Links View the reports https://albertainnovates.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/BBC-Report-1.pdf https://albertainnovates.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/BBC%20-%20Report%202.pdf View call to action https://albertainnovates.ca/bitumen-beyond-combustion-bbc-open-call-2018/ Axel Meisen Alberta Innovates Email: axel@meisen.ca Nathan Ashcroft Stantec Email: Nathan.Ashcroft@stantec.com Disclaimer: Stantec reserves the rights to all imagery used in this presentation unless otherwise referenced. Under no conditions are these images to be copied and/or distributed externally.