Roquette and Rhodia Acetow sign joint development agreement for the elaboration of new plant-based polymers

Roquette and Rhodia Acetow have signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to develop new plant-based polymers. The JDA will enable both companies to leverage synergies bringing together respective competencies in the field of plant-based polymer chemistry.

Jean Bernard Leleu, Deputy CEO and Research Innovation Development Director of Roquette commented: “Our goal is to continuously search for new solutions in growth markets and to boost our competitiveness with new technologies. This agreement is an excellent opportunity to speed up the development of a new range of starch derivatives, offering a cost competitive and sustainable alternative to fossil based polymers.”

“This JDA will accelerate the launch of new polymers based on renewable raw material, for which the demand is drastically increasing. The plant-based polymer cellulose acetate and cellulose acetate fibre will remain the key products for Rhodia Acetow. This agreement is one first step towards the diversification of our product portfolio,” stated Gérard Collette, President of Rhodia Acetow.

Thanks to Roquette’s expertise in starch derivatives and Rhodia’s industrial technologies, some trials of starch acetate production will be carried out from early 2012 providing several tons which will be available for testing in diverse industrial applications. Potential fields of application include paper, paint and dye sectors and pharmaceuticals.

Rhodia, member of the Solvay group, is a specialty chemical company resolutely committed to sustainable development. As a leader in its businesses, the Group aims to improve its customers’ performance through the pursuit of operational excellence and its ability to innovate. Structured around 11 Global Business Units, Rhodia is the partner of major players in the automotive, electronics, flavors and fragrances, health, personal and home care markets, consumer goods and industrial markets. Rhodia employs around 14 000 people worldwide and generated sales of €5.23 billion in 2010.

Rhodia Acetow is a fully integrated global player in the manufacture of cellulose acetate fiber, used extensively in the manufacture of cigarette filters. Rhodia Acetow is the third largest producer of cellulose acetate tow (worldwide market share is over 16%), with facilities in Europe, Russia, USA and Brazil. Its strategy rests on four pillars: world class quality, continuous competitiveness improvement, product innovation and proactive customer support.

Roquette – Offering the best of natureTM
Roquette, a French family group with an international dimension, processes renewable raw materials: maize, wheat, potatoes, peas and micro-algae. Among the 5 global leaders in the starch manufacturing industry, it offers its customers a wide range of products and solutions in the fields of human nutrition, pharmacy-cosmetology, paper-board, chemistry-bioindustry and animal nutrition. Present in over 100 countries, Roquette has a turnover of 3 billion euros. The Group employs around 6,800 staff. Its development, focused on health nutrition and plant-based chemistry, is based on a strategy giving preference to the long-term, innovation and the commitment to achieve. Its mission: "Serve men and women by offering the best of nature".

For more information, please visit  www.roquette.com