Vinçotte Awards DaniMer Scientific’s 12991 Film Resins with OK Compost Home Certificate
DaniMer Scientific’s 12991 film resins have been officially certified as compostable at home by Vinçotte International, a renowned inspection facility headquartered in Vilvoorde, Belgium. The OK biodegradable home compost label guarantees that the product will completely decay even in the cooler temperatures of a garden compost heap.
“Receiving the Vinçotte OK Compost Home Certification for our 12991 film resins provides a tremendous opportunity for DaniMer to raise awareness of the availability of certain film products used daily in the home,” says Scott Tuten, Senior Vice President of DaniMer Scientific. “There are many benefits of home composting including saving money and lessening the burden on landfills. DaniMer is fortunate to have developed a product that offers multiple end of life options. The 12991 film can be composted in home compost systems providing environmentally safe materials that can be deposited back into the earth.”
DaniMer’s film resins are specifically designed for the efficient conversion and production of: disposable shopping bags, compostable bags, odor barrier packaging products and agricultural mulch film, among others.
Source: www.danimer.com/resources/.
Verdezyne Announces Issuance of US Patent on Method for Producing Bio-Based Adipic Acid
Verdezyne, Inc., a privately-held industrial biotechnology company focused on producing renewable chemicals from non-petroleum sources, has been granted a United States Patent for a bio-based adipic acid production process. U.S. Patent No. 8,241,879, titled “Biological Methods for Preparing Adipic Acid,” covers one of the company’s proprietary processes for selectively converting non-petroleum oils into adipic acid – a key component used to manufacture sustainable nylon 6,6, thermoplastic polyurethane resins and coatings from renewable sources.
“Building on the patent we secured earlier this year on engineered microorganisms, this intellectual property protection for our adipic acid production process is another strong milestone in our technology development program,” said E. William Radany, Ph.D., president and CEO of Verdezyne. “Our feedstock-flexible approach is just one of many factors that sets Verdezyne apart from other players in the renewable chemicals landscape.”
Verdezyne has designed its proprietary adipic acid process specifically for the production of nylon 6,6. The company believes its renewably sourced adipic acid will be cost-advantaged compared with standard adipic acid, as well as being more environmentally-friendly.
“Verdezyne’s proprietary process allows us to produce adipic acid at high yields and selectively from any plant-based oil, regardless of its fatty acid composition – making the entire process more cost-effective and environmentally-friendly,” said Stephen Picataggio, Ph.D., chief scientific officer. “Since our feedstock position is not carbohydrate-based, we are also not competing for sugar in the food or energy value chain.”
About Adipic Acid
Found in everyday products such as nylon, furniture, coatings, carpeting, bedding and automobile parts, adipic acid is a valuable chemical intermediate for established downstream markets such as the automotive, apparel and textile industries. The estimated worldwide market for adipic acid is over $6 billion. For more information on Verdezyne’s adipic acid, please visit http://verdezyne.com/verdezyne/Products/adipic.cfm.
About Verdezyne
Verdezyne is an industrial biotechnology company using proven and proprietary metabolic pathway engineering tools to develop unique yeast strains for cost-effective production of bio-based chemicals. Current investors in Verdezyne include BP Alternative Energy Ventures, DSM Venturing B.V., OVP Venture Partners and Monitor Ventures.
Source: www.verdezyne.com.
DaniMer Scientific’s 12291 Film Resins Obtain OK Biodegradable Soil Certification
DaniMer Scientific’s 12291 film resins have been officially certified as biodegradable in soil by Vinçotte International, a renowned inspection facility headquartered in Vilvoorde, Belgium. The OK biodegradable soil label guarantees that products will completely biodegrade in soil without adversely affecting the environment. According to Vinçotte, biodegradability in the soil offers huge benefits for agricultural and horticultural products as following their intended use this film material can be left to break down on site.
“The OK Biodegradable Soil Certification is a very exciting development for DaniMer because it verifies that our film resins will naturally degrade in soil,” says Scott Tuten, Senior Vice President of DaniMer Scientific. “We have worked diligently to create a revolutionary product that serves our customers’ performance needs that is also environmentally friendly. DaniMer’s film resins are degradable and compostable in a variety of environments, including water and garden compost. The DanIMer 12291 film offers multiple end of life options enabling consumers or customers to benefit from our product in an assortment of applications.”
DaniMer’s film resins are specifically designed for the efficient conversion and production of: disposable shopping bags, compostable bags, odor barrier packaging products and agricultural mulch film, among others.
Source: http://www.danimer.com/
NGR Develops Effective Solution for Bioplastic Recycling
Most plastic application generate scrap and waste in one form or another. Next Generation Recyclingmaschinen GmbH has taken advantage of the growing use of bioplastics. Production waste can be melt lumps, sprues and defective parts in injection moulding, parison waste in blow moulding or for example edge trim, cutoffs and off-spec startup material in film and fibre production processes.
NGR has suggested that its new technology can only gain importance for bioplastics, which often cost as much as €3 per kilogram or even more.
The easiest way of recovering these materials is to shred them to chips and re-feed them into the process together with the new material, but as easy as that is, it can lead to process difficulties like:
• Inconsistent feeding performance of the production extruder
• Air inclusions in the melt that lead to defects of the finished products
• No way of removing process materials like printing inks and similar
NGR’s solution involves recycling machines that feed the material to the extruder with an integrated cutter-feeder, which consists of a slow rotating cutter shaft with knives that cut against fixed knives like scissors, and a feeding zone that conveys the material to the extruder without pre-heating it.
The NGR Cutter-Feeder-Extruder can reportedly recycle most of the commonly used bioplastics, such as starch or PLA-based products. The screws, vacuum vent and melt filter can all be tailored to the special requirements of bioplastics, for example low heating of the material or the removing of printing inks.
This method is also sensitive towards monitoring slight changes in the molecular mass distribution resulting from the inevitable heat stress in any polymer processing step.
Source: http://www.observatorioplastico.com
Growth in PLA bioplastics: a production capacity of over 800,000t expected by 2020
he Nova-Institute will soon publish the first results of a multi-client market survey of the international bioplastics market.
25 companies have developed production capacity at 30 sites worldwide of over 180,000t of polylactic acid (PLA), one of the leading biobased plastics. PLA is used mainly in packaging, but it also has a large number of other durable applications. The largest producer is NatureWorks, a company that is active in the USA and Thailand, and has a capacity of 140,000t/year. The other producers have a current capacity of between 1,500 and 10,000t/year.
According to their own forecasts, existing PLA producers are planning considerable expansion of their capacity to around 800,000t/year by 2020. There should be at least seven sites with a capacity of over 50,000t/year by then. A survey of lactic acid producers, the preliminary stage of PLA production, revealed that production capacity to meet concrete requests from customers that cannot yet be named could even rise to roughly 950,000t/year.
The results are derived from the most comprehensive international market survey of bioplastics to date, which was carried out in conjunction with renowned international plastics experts. The "Market Study on Bio-based Polymers and Plastics in the World" will be published in January 2013 and contains, along with a 300-page report, access to the newly developed "Bioplastics Producer Database".
Novamont provides London 2012 with compostable packs
Italian firm Novamont has revealed that it is supplying compostable catering packaging for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which kicks off tonight.
The firm’s Master-Bi, a range of biodegradable and compostable bioplastics, was selected by the Games’ packaging supplier London Bio Packaging. The product, according to Novamont, meets the European compostable standard EN12432.
Novamont’s packaging manufacturing site is based in Terni, Italy. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Locog) stipulated that packaging needed to hit the EN12432 standard and use as small a range of packaging materials as possible.
Speaking to Packaging News in May about the planning process, Locog corporate sustainability manager Phil Cumming said: “Very, very few packaging companies can supply a fully certified product. They can supply component parts that are certified.”
McDonald’s, an Olympics partner, will be among the firms using Master-Bi for cutlery, straws, cups and lids.
Novamont managing director Catia Bastioli said: “I admire the far-sightedness and perspicacity Locog demonstrated in their programme to make London Olympics a truly sustainable event, and Novamont is proud to have played a part in this.”
Locog has set a target of 70% of waste at venues will be recycled, reused or composted.
Source: http://www.packagingnews.co.uk
Automotive giants turn to bioplastics worldwide
Although attracted initially by environmental benefits, car makers and their suppliers are also asking what added functionality they can get from non-compostable, bio-based materials. One advantage is of course lighter, more cost-effective vehicles. A rule-of-thumb is that 5% less weight means average fuel savings of 3%, according to industry association Plastics Europe.
However, weight advantages are not assured. Some 'classic' bioplastics such as polylactic acid (PLA) have a higher density than their petroleum-based counterparts, the Belgium-based European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) told European Plastics News.
ACEA said soy-based seat foams and upholstery can also be heavier. Ford and Fiat say soy-based seats in their vehicles weigh as much as if made with traditional materials. Natural fibre-reinforced plastic, on the other hand, offers 5% to 15% weight saving, depending on what it replaces.
Bioplastics are not as affected by oil price volatility as petroleum-based materials, an advantage over traditional plastics. "The importance [of bioplastics] will certainly continuously grow with crude oil shortage," said an ACEA spokesperson.
Still, environmental benefits remain important. "Plastics, regardless of the raw material used, are lightweight and cost-efficient materials," said Thomas Bauwens, a spokesman for Plastics Europe. "If, on top of this, bioplastics can further reduce the environmental burden...then car manufacturers will be interested in choosing bioplastics."
And manufacturers certainly interested are interested. Reduced dependence on volatile energy markets is one of the benefits of bioplastics, said John Viera, Ford Motor Company's director of sustainable business strategies.
Ford's use of soy-foam seat cushions has allowed its supply chain to reduce petroleum usage in production by more than 2,300 tonnes annually while lowering carbon dioxide emissions by some 9,000 tonnes, said Viera.
Where Ford cannot save weight through soy-based seats, it uses honeycomb-structured traditional plastics for a 20% weight reduction, which leads to better fuel economy and reduced carbon emissions. These foam seat backs and cushions with up to 24% renewable material appear in all Ford vehicles. Also, 75% of Ford vehicles produced annually contain soy-based foam in headrests, including the 2013 Fusion, F-150, Taurus, and Explorer.
The company is also researching natural fibres, such as rice hulls and coconut reinforcement, for moulded plastic parts. These would reduce petroleum use in manufacturing and make parts lighter and more natural-looking as the long fibres are visible in the plastic.
"The team is researching formulations using up to 30% natural fibres, which would typically replace talc or glass in traditional automotive plastic composite formulations," Viera said.
He hailed the 2010 Ford Flex for the first ever application of wheat straw-reinforced plastic, used for third-row interior storage bins, which offers annual savings of some 9 tonnes in petroleum.
Bioplastics feature in some Ford doors. A 50:50 polyethylene composite with fibre from kenaf, a tropical plant, is replacing oil-based materials for door bolsters in the new Escape. Lignotock - 15% phenol formaldehyde thermoset and 85% wood fibre - provides lighter, better sound-deadening than conventional glass-reinforced thermoplastics.
Toyota Motor Group, another car giant, has reduced CO2 emissions from parts manufacturing by 20% thanks to bioplastics, said its subsidiary Toyota Canada.
Carbon neutrality is achieved over the cycle from raw material to end-of-use, bioplastic car part. Living plants remove CO2 from air while expired parts are recycled in a thermal process re-releasing that CO2.
Toyota claims to have been the first to use sugar cane-based PET in vehicle liners and other interior surfaces. In North America, it combines PLA derived from sweet potato, corn, and sugar beet with other polymers.
Processing methods for bioplastic depend on the car part. For upholstery material on door and luggage area trims, PLA is mixed with PET. For injection moulded parts such as scuff plates and interior trims, finely ground PLA is dispersed in polypropylene (PP).
Many Toyota vehicles have soy-based seat cushions, including the Prius, Corolla, Matrix, RAV4, and Lexus RX 350. The Lexus HS 250 is packed with bio-based parts, including the luggage trim upholstery, cowl side trim, seat cushions, door scuff plate and tool box area. Toyota aims to have 20% of all plastic components in its vehicles made of bioplastics by 2015.
Italian car maker Fiat is also becoming a convert. A spokesperson for Centro Ricerche Fiat, its research company, said: "Use of bioplastics allows us to increase the ecofriendly profile of our products, assuring same or better performances, possibly at same costs."
The company has used castor oil-derived polyamides and soya-derived polyurethanes to replace their crude-oil-derived equivalents in more than one million vehicles and plans to continue this. For context, Fiat Group Automobiles shipped nearly 2.2 million vehicles world-wide in 2011.
Fiat cars for Brazil contain polyurethane seat foams with about 5% soy polyol. It is still seeking improvements; for example, the foam seats cannot contain more than 5% bio-based material or they lose performance in elasticity.
Fiat is also looking to increase the amount of bio-fillers it uses to reinforce some vehicles' plastics and elastomers. In 2011, its use of DuPont's castor oil-based Zytel RS polyamide 1010 in some fuel lines won the Automotive Innovation award in the environmental category from the United States and Europe-based Society of Plastics Engineers.
DuPont's technology and strategic partnerships to create novel methods of manufacturing high-performance materials from renewable resources have featured big name car manufacturers in recent years.
The company's Zytel RS line of bioplastics is a renewably sourced long chain of nylon products, between 60% and 100% bio-material, that can be adapted for temperature resistance. It also provides the Sorona EP line of 20-37% starch-based polymer resins as well as the Hytrel RS line of 20% and 60% non-food biomass based thermoplastic polyester elastomers. Toyota in Japan launched the Prius 'A' alpha car featuring Dupont's Sorona EP in the instrument-panel air-conditioning system outlet.
Japan-based Mazda claims two car industry firsts: a plant-derived content above 80%, for interior fittings in its Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid car; and a 100% plant-derived biofabric for seat covers.
US-based Johnson Controls will meanwhile provide Germany's BMW with door panels combining wood fibres and plastics making them 20% lighter than with traditional materials. These will feature in the new BMW 3 Series of cars, making them more fuel efficient.
Daimler, for the same reasons, mixes kenaf, flax, and sisal in plastics for its door linings. Mercedes-Benz's Biome concept car is envisaged as a vehicle that would be 'grown in a lab' from organic biofibres, stronger than steel but lighter than metal and compostable at the end of its life.
Bioplastics have not yet been used to make external car components. Price is one obstacle, because such external parts cannot yet be manufactured on the same scale as interior components, said John Williams, head of materials for energy and industry at the UK's non-profit National Non-Food Crops Centre (NNFCC).
"[Also] you have the requirements of strength that you don't necessarily have with bioplastics," said Frederic Scheer, CEO and chairman of Cereplast, a US and European based provider of starch-based resin pellets that can be processed in existing equipment to create bonding agents in car manufacturing.
Williams expects more durable bioplastics soon, though. "I've seen mainstream developments not yet launched where these things can be, ultimately, the outside panel," he said.
Williams also expects cost disparities between renewable and traditional plastics to decrease, spurred by continued development and, possibly, rising oil prices.
Thomas Bauwens at Plastics Europe predicts the market for fuel-efficient, lighter vehicles in general will grow as European car manufacturing recovers.
"With the present focus of the European automotive industry on 'green vehicles' the need for plastic materials in cars will probably grow," he added.
Cereplast likewise sees Europe as a growth market. Some 80% of its sales are in European continental markets where it continues to expand, with a new headquarters in Germany and a manufacturing plant in Italy purchased last year.
"We look at Europe as one of our top priorities for 2012, 2013, and going beyond," said Cereplast's Scheer. "Bioplastics will become so sophisticated that they will basically substitute plastics as we see it today."
Source: www.prw.com
Cobalt Technologies and Rhodia to Build Bio n-Butanol Demonstration Facility in Latin America
Cobalt Technologies, a leading developer of next generation bio-based chemicals and specialty chemical company Rhodia, member of the Solvay Group, today announced they will begin joint development and operation of a biobutanol demonstration facility in Brazil. This is one more step by the two companies toward the construction of commercial-scale biorefineries using Cobalt’s technology to convert Brazilian bagasse and other local non-food feedstock into bio n-butanol in Latin America. Butanol is widely used as an industrial chemical found in paints, adhesives, inks, and other solvents.
"This agreement puts us on a clear path towards commercialization, which will result in the development of the first commercial-scale biorefinery using bagasse as a feedstock for the production of biobutanol," said Bob Mayer, CEO of Cobalt Technologies. "We are very pleased to be working with Rhodia. Our corporate values and goals are aligned and Rhodia’s experience in the global chemical markets and long history of success in Latin America position us well for success."
Under the Term Sheet, Cobalt and Rhodia will build and operate a biobutanol demonstration plant, which will validate Cobalt’s technology and its ability to seamlessly integrate with existing sugar mills in Brazil. Work will begin in August 2012 and will move to a mill site in early 2013 for integration testing. Operational testing at the demonstration plant is expected to be completed by Mid-2013.
"We are convinced that Cobalt’s technology will provide an unmatched cost advantage over the long term, while also enhancing our sustainable development strategy related to our Augeo® range of biosourced solvents," said Vincent Kamel, president of Rhodia Coatis Business Unit. "We look forward to our continued partnership, working closely with Cobalt to capitalize on the massive market opportunity for bio n-butanol in Latin American and beyond."
Over the past nine months, the two companies explored options for integrating Cobalt’s technology into existing sugar mills. This feasibility phase confirmed the scalability and attractive economics of Cobalt’s biomass processing and advanced fermentation technology, as well as its viability to work with Brazil’s local biomass, prompting the companies to sign today’s Term Sheet that moves their relationship into its next phase.
About Cobalt Technologies
Cobalt Technologies is a leader in commercializing the production of bio n-butanol as a renewable chemical and fuel. N-butanol is a widely used industrial chemical found in paints, lacquers and other surface coatings, with a global market of over $5 billion. By producing low-cost bio n-butanol, Cobalt’s unique technology enables the use of bio n-butanol as a platform molecule for the production of a broad array of fuels and chemicals, including jet fuel, bio-based plastics and synthetic rubber. Cobalt’s technology platform offers a continuous process to efficiently convert diverse non-food feedstocks into biobutanol. Engineered to achieve low costs through its proprietary biocatalyst, advanced bioreactor, energy efficient design and the use of low-cost feedstock, Cobalt is making biobutanol and its derivatives a cost-effective substitute to petroleum-based chemical products. Cobalt is based in Mountain View, Calif. Cobalt is backed by leading investors in the cleantech sector, including Pinnacle Ventures, Malaysian Life Sciences Capital Fund, VantagePoint Capital Partners, Parsons & Whittemore, Life Sciences Partners (LSP), @Ventures, Harris & Harris and Burrill and Company.
Source http://www.cobalttech.com.
Cereplast Granted Patent for High Heat Resistant Polymer Compositions Having Polylactic Acid (PLA)
Cereplast, Inc. (Nasdaq:CERP), a leading manufacturer of proprietary biobased, sustainable bioplastics, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted the Company patent protection for high heat resistant polymer compositions having polylactic acid (PLA). USPTO-issued patent 8,222,320 expands Cereplast's growing intellectual property portfolio and protects the composition formulation invented by Cereplast Chairman and CEO Mr. Frederic Scheer and Mr. William E. Kelly of the Cereplast R&D team.
PLA has limitations in terms of melt strength and heat resistance, which has restricted its use for high temperature applications. In contrast, Cereplast's high heat PLA compositions can be industrially compostable and can retain their structural properties at temperatures greater than 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius).
Scheer stated, "This new patent strengthens the Company's leadership position in the bioplastics industry by protecting our intellectual property, and is in line with our long-term growth strategy as we continue to create grades of bioplastic resin that meet the demands of the marketplace."
Source: www.cereplast.com
Biobased Resins Made from Susterra® Propanediol Adopted by Panasonic Corporation Eco Solutions Company
DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products today announced that Panasonic Corporation Eco Solutions Company has adopted biobased resins made with Susterra® Propanediol for their new line of kitchen and bathroom systems. The new integrated kitchen system, “Living Station,” and bathroom system, “Cococino,” both use biobased resins made with Susterra® and are now available commercially through Panasonic Corporation Eco Solutions Company.
The new kitchen and bathroom systems were developed using Panasonic’s unique technology of compounding plant-derived and petroleum-derived resins. The resins based on plant-derived, Susterra® are used to manufacture the kitchen countertops in the “Living Station” product line and the bathroom ceilings in the “Cococino” product line.
For the first time in the Asia Pacific region, biobased resins were adopted as the building material for wet areas such as kitchens and bathrooms. The biobased materials also are used for the wash basins and toilets in the Panasonic product line.
“The quality requirement for wet area system materials is very high,” commented Kazumasa Rokushima, director of the General Technology & Products Development Center, Housing Systems Business Group at the Panasonic Eco Solutions Company. “We are delighted to be the first in the industry with a biobased commercialized product offering. This achievement contributes to Panasonic’s sustainability goals as outlined in ‘Green Plan 2018.’ The year 2018 is the 100th anniversary of the Panasonic Company.”
Susterra® propanediol is certified 100 percent biobased by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, making it attractive for companies seeking to add renewable content to their products. A peer-reviewed life cycle assessment (LCA) demonstrates that the production of biobased propanediol offers significant environmental benefits including up to 40 percent less greenhouse gas emissions and 40 percent less non-renewable energy used in its production vs. petroleum-based glycols.
Panasonic Corporation Eco Solutions Company, formed on January 1, 2012, is part of the Panasonic Group with offices in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan. The company is committed to promoting customer solutions that make the most use of a broad range of the Panasonic Group's product lines from energy-related products such as solar power generation systems/storage batteries, and air conditioning/ventilation equipment to food-related systems including cold-chain equipment. The goal of the Panasonic Group is to become the No.1 Green Innovation Company in the Electronics Industry in 2018, the 100th anniversary of its founding. As a member of the Group, the Eco Solutions Company will continue practicing its management principle by making the 'environment' central to all of its business activities and providing comfortable yet eco-friendly products and services globally.
DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products is a joint venture between DuPont, a global science company, and Tate & Lyle, a world-leading renewable food and industrial ingredients company. DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products provides natural and renewably sourced ingredients that do not compromise product performance. For more information on the company’s products, visit http://www.duponttateandlyle.com.
Source: prweb.com
Morumbi Stadium to receive Brazil's first "sugar seats"
Giroflex-forma, in partnership with Braskem and Cromex, debuts its first line of seats made from renewable raw materials at the stadium of São Paulo Football Club.
São Paulo, July 2012 - Giroflex-forma, a leading furniture maker in Latin America, has launched Brazil's first seats incorporating plastic made from renewable raw materials, which will be installed in the boxes at Morumbi Stadium in the city of São Paulo. Developed in partnership with Cromex and Braskem, the seats use polyethylene made from sugarcane ethanol, a high-value material that is 100% renewable and recyclable.
"The main innovation is the high level of sustainability incorporated into the project's design, with the plastic used in the seats made from ethanol, a renewable energy source that replaces the traditional petroleum-based compound," said Linaldo Vilar, director of new business at giroflex-forma. Over the next three years, the company plans to invest nearly R$6 million in the sports-arena seating market.
Manufactured by Braskem, the world's leading biopolymer producer, the resin in these "sugar seats" is recognized worldwide for maintaining the benefits and properties of traditional plastic, while being more sustainable. The most important advantage is its capacity to help reduce the greenhouse gas effect, since it removes 2.5 tons of carbon gas (CO2) from the atmosphere for every ton produced.
Cromex, the leader in color masterbatches and additives, has developed a new generation of compounds for use in the Green PE seats. These are additives that enhance performance and processing with formulas free of heavy metals and halogen-free flame-retardant properties and that comply with the standards of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and the Brazilian Association of Technical Norms (ABNT).
About giroflex-forma
The largest Brazilian company in its market segment, giroflex-forma is the leading Brazilian manufacturer of furniture, seats and solutions for workspaces. Its leading position reflects its pioneering nature. It was the first company in Brazil to apply ergonomic concepts to corporate furniture and chair designs. The brand has become a reference in well-being by imparting comfort, flexibility and beauty in work environments. With over 30 stores nationwide, giroflex-forma has nine points of sale in Latin America.
About Braskem
Braskem is the top thermoplastic resins producer in the Americas. With 35 industrial plants in Brazil, the United States and Germany, the company produces over 35 billion pounds of thermoplastic resins and other petrochemicals per year. Braskem is the world's leading biopolymers producer with its 440 million pound green polyethylene plant that produces polyethylene from sugarcane-based ethanol.
About Cromex
Cromex is Brazil's leader in color masterbatches and additives for plastics, with two industrial units (Sao Paulo and Bahia) with production capacity of 132 kton/year and average annual revenue of more than R$400 million. Its two production facilities create more than 500 direct jobs and hold ISO 9001, 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certifications. Cromex has a portfolio of over 13,000 colors and additives developed by its in-house laboratories, which serve 18 different segments in the plastics industry, including toys, packaging and caps for various segments (food, beverages, cosmetics, personal care, cleaning) civil construction plastics, auto industry and agribusiness.
Source: http://www.braskem.com.br
Amyris Enhances Strategic Partnership With Total for Renewable Diesel and Jet Fuels
Amyris signed an amendment to its existing technology collaboration agreement with Total. Under the enhanced collaboration, Total reaffirms its commitment to Amyris's technology and dedicates its $82 million funding budget over the next three years exclusively for the deployment of Biofene, Amyris's renewable farnesene, for production of renewable diesel and jet fuel. Upon completion of the research and development program, Total and Amyris intend to form a joint venture company that would have exclusive rights to produce and market renewable diesel and/or jet fuel, as well as non-exclusive rights to other specialty products.
"Today we reaffirm our strategic relationship with Total to achieve our joint development and commercialization objectives for renewable diesel and jet fuel," said John Melo, President & CEO of Amyris. "We are appreciative of Total's ongoing support of Amyris.In addition to Amyris' continued development of jet and diesel businesses in Brazil independently, this enhanced collaboration provides a global platform for the future growth in fuels under a future joint venture with Total," Melo concluded.
"Amyris's best-in-class technology to produce renewable hydrocarbons has proven performance attributes," said Philippe Boisseau, President, Supply-Marketing and member of Total's Executive Committee. "With this refocused partnership, we'll reach our business objectives, expand our ability to become a key supplier in renewable fuels and better meet our customers' highest demands," Boisseau concluded.
Under today's announcement, Total agreed to fund $30 million during the third quarter of 2012. Additional funding will be triggered by Total at annual decision points in mid 2013 and 2014. Detailed information is included in Amyris's SEC filing associated with this transaction.
"Amyris and Total have had a successful research partnership since 2010 and we continue, through this amended collaboration, to pursue our shared strategy of building the world's leading renewable technology platform," said Arthur D. Levinson, Ph.D., Chairman of the Board of Directors of Amyris. "Today's agreement deepens this long-term partnership and enables Amyris to continue investing in its core technology while accessing the market know-how and scale-up capability of Total," concluded Levinson.
About the Technology
Amyris has developed advanced microbial engineering and screening technologies that modify the way microorganisms process sugars. Amyris is using this industrial synthetic biology platform to design microbes, primarily yeast, and use them as living factories in established fermentation processes to convert plant-sourced sugars into renewable chemical and transportation fuel products.
Amyris operates laboratories and a pilot plant in California as well as a pilot plant and demonstration facility in Brazil. Amyris has been scaling its Biofene production through various production arrangements and expects to operate its first dedicated commercial scale facility in Brazil by early 2013.
This technology will help make it possible for producers to blend renewable hydrocarbons produced from sustainable biomass and organic waste into fuel in proportions that significantly exceed the current 7% set by European Union regulations or other government policies. Renewable fuels developed by Total and Amyris will deliver energy density, engine performance, and storage properties comparable to the best petroleum fuels.
Source: www.amyris.com
World first for skin care industry
Cardia Bioplastics and emerging organic skincare company, ECOCARE™, have partnered to produce a world first in the skin care industry – eco-friendly facial wipes enclosed in eco-friendly packaging.
The biodegradable facial wipes are made from 100% natural certified organic cotton. The packaging incorporates Cardia’s renewable and recyclable Biohybrid™ resin which is derived from renewable resources. The resulting ‘green’ combination has a significantly lower carbon footprint than its competitors.
“There is a growing trend for companies to look at ways to reduce the impact of their operations on the environment,” said Dr Frank Glatz, Managing Director of Cardia Bioplastics.
“Product packaging is a good place to start. “
“Our thermoplastic starch resins have a high renewable content – when they are incorporated into standard packaging or plastic products, the carbon footprint is reduced by up to 50 per cent,” said Dr Glatz.
“ECOCARE™ has built its business on environment-friendly products and we are proud to partner with them to develop packaging solutions that align with this philosophy.
“We hope that others in the consumer healthcare and beauty industry will follow the company’s lead and seek out sustainable packaging solutions,” said Dr Glatz.
Cardia’s Biohybrid™ resins combine renewable thermoplastics with oil-based polymer material to reduce dependence on finite oil resources and to reduce carbon footprint. The renewable material is derived from non-genetically modified corn crop grown for industrial use. Furthermore, they are compatible with current plastic recycling processes, are food safe compliant and have official Halal Certification.
Callan Taylor, Marketing Director of ECOCARE™, said: “Environmental sustainability is engrained in the ECOCARE™ business model, and our range of skin care wipes have been built around this philosophy.
“We are looking forward to working with Cardia to access environmentally-friendly and renewable packaging that complements our products and our principles,” Mr Taylor said.
“Globally, we will be the first manufacturer of organic wet wipes to use renewable packaging solutions. It is a huge coup for us and offers strong product differentiation.”
The wipes can be purchased for $7.99 in various retail outlets across Australia and we will look to sell the product overseas in the coming months. They are also available online at www.ecocarenatural.com.
