OzoneBio, a Calgary-based green technology company and member of the Life Sciences Innovation Hub, has quietly made history.
After years of research and iteration, the company successfully scaled the production of bio-adipic acid—an essential ingredient in the manufacture of Nylon 66—from lab-scale to one-tonne batches. But more impressively, a major (undisclosed) industry player in the Nylon 66 market polymerized OzoneBio’s bio-adipic acid and spun it into yarn for the very first time—something that, until now, had never been done in the global chemical industry.
“No one else in the world has ever made bio-based Nylon 66 and successfully spun it into yarn,” said CEO Khorcheska Batyrova. “We passed two major hurdles: polymerization and filament spinning. That’s what makes this a true breakthrough.”
The polymerized yarns were showcased at two of the world’s largest industry expos: the K Show in Düsseldorf, the world’s premier plastics trade fair, and Intertextile Shanghai, a leading global event for sustainable textiles. While OzoneBio’s name wasn’t officially announced (due to the ongoing nature of the partnership), the exposure represents a huge vote of confidence from a multibillion-dollar industry player.
OzoneBio is now in negotiations with that partner, seeking a deal that recognizes their IP and allows their brand name to be associated with the final product.
“Our hope is to enter the market jointly with our partner, with our name and trademark clearly visible on every product that contains our bio-adipic acid,” said Batyrova.
The next milestone? Moving from pilot scale to demo scale, which is about 15 to 50 tonnes per year. To make that leap, OzoneBio is actively applying for expanded support through IRAP (Canada’s Industrial Research Assistance Program) and is planning to expand its lab footprint within the Life Sciences Innovation Hub, where it currently rents two labs and 120 square meters of space.
The company also emphasized how critical the Hub has been to their progress.
“It remains a unique space for a company like ours,” said Batyrova. “We’re planning to scale right here.”
OzoneBio’s ambitions reach far beyond Nylon 66. The company is already producing benzaldehyde (used in fragrances), benzoic acid (a preservative), and even vanillin extract—all derived from wood waste. They’ve been approached by cosmetic companies interested in using their bio-based chemicals in personal care applications.
Their method: fast-tracked green chemistry. Instead of relying on fossil fuels, OzoneBio uses pyrolysis to convert wood bark and other lignin-rich forestry byproducts into wood tar, from which a suite of high-value chemicals can be extracted.
“We’re not just producing bio-adipic acid—we’re creating a new generation of the chemical industry,” Batyrova said. “Instead of petroleum, we use wood waste. It’s faster, cleaner, and uses real industrial leftovers like bark and sawdust.”
OzoneBio is now in discussions with governments and forestry suppliers across Canada to deploy larger-scale pyrolysis units near sources of wood waste—particularly in Ontario and Saskatchewan, where demand for forestry sector repurposing is high.
In parallel, they’re offering their green catalysis technology to the traditional chemical industry as a plug-in solution to reduce nitrous oxide emissions from petroleum-based adipic acid production, offering a cleaner alternative without cost premiums.
With industry validation, potential market entry, expanded lab operations, and a growing portfolio of sustainable chemicals, OzoneBio is not just an innovator in green chemistry, they’re proof that clean tech can compete with and complement traditional industries.