News

DuPont Engineering Polymers today announced at NPE that it is moving forward with plans to produce a new family of high-performance thermoplastic resins and elastomer products made with renewable resources.

The new products are DuPont™ Sorona® polymer and DuPont™ Hytrel® made with renewable resources.  The key ingredient in Sorona® is Bio-PDO™ , which is derived from corn using a patented and proprietary fermentation process as a replacement for petrochemical based 1,3-propanediol (PDO) and/or 1,4-butanediol (BDO).  DuPont™ Hytrel® made with renewable resources will be produced using a new DuPont polyol made with Bio-PDO™ .

Production of DuPont™ Sorona® polymer with Bio-PDO™ will begin later this year.  DuPont™ Hytrel® made with renewable resources will be available in late 2007. 

“With these new products, we will be able to offer our customers the benefits of renewable sourced materials – reduced dependence on petrochemical sourcing and a positive impact on the environmental life cycle of their products,” said Nandan Rao, vice president, global technology for DuPont Performance Materials.  In addition to replacing petrochemicals with renewable resources, the manufacturing of Bio-PDO™ requires approximately 40 percent less energy to produce than its petrochemical-based counterpart – the equivalent of about 10 million gallons of gasoline per year.
“Both of these new products will contribute to our corporate goal of deriving 25 percent of our revenue from non-depletable resources by 2010.”

“The performance and processing characteristics of both Sorona® and Hytrel® made with renewable resources are as good as or better than those of current products made wholly from petrochemicals.  Each of the new bio-based polymers have unique special performance attributes that may drive choices in some applications,” said Rao.

Among engineering plastics, Sorona® exhibits performance and molding characteristics similar to PBT (polybutylene terephthalate).  “In addition to good strength and stiffness, we see improved surface appearance and gloss, good dimensional stability and laser weldability making it very attractive in a range of uses for automotive parts and components, electrical and electronics systems as well as industrial and consumer products.”

Preliminary evaluations comparing current Hytrel® to Hytrel® made with renewable resources show properties are mostly similar with a few improvements.  “Hytrel® made with renewable resources exhibits better low temperature flexibility and elastic recovery, and grades with a higher melting point are possible,” Rao said.

Applications for Hytrel® made with renewable resources are similar to the current products.  Examples of major uses include extruded hose and tubing for automotive and other industrial uses, blow molded boots for automotive constant-velocity joints, injection molded parts such as air bag doors and energy dampers. 

“Today, many of our customers are looking for high-performance and high quality products that are based on sustainable solutions – from renewable resources to those that offer cradle-to-cradle business propositions,” said Rao.  “DuPont Engineering Polymers is aggressively seeking and developing new technologies and manufacturing techniques that offer the benefits of renewable materials to our customers and the entire value chain.  Companies with a buying preference for products based on non-petrochemical sources, either because of concerns with raw material availability or because of the societal benefits, will likely be very interested in these developments.”

Making Engineering Polymers From Renewable Resources 
Loudon, Tennessee, will be home for the world’s largest aerobic fermentation plant for the production of Bio-PDO™.  The plant is owned and operated by DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products, an equally owned joint venture of DuPont and Tate & Lyle.  It is scheduled to come on stream later this year and will produce 100 million pounds of Bio-PDO™ (over 45,000 metric tons) per year.

Sorona® polymer is made by polymerizing Bio-PDO™ with either terephthalic acid (TPA) or dimethyl terephthalate (DMT).  Sorona® polymer with Bio-PDO™ will be produced at the DuPont plant in Kinston, N.C., and ready-to-mold compounds will be produced in Parkersburg, W.Va.

Both Hytrel® products have polymer chains consisting of hard and soft segments. Hytrel® made with renewable resources will offer soft segments produced with a bio-based polyol, PO3G, instead of a petrochemical polyol, such as PTMEG.  The bio-based polyol and Hytrel® made with renewable resources can be produced in DuPont’s existing facilities.

DuPont is a science company.  Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere.  Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture, nutrition, electronics, communications, safety and protection, home and construction, transportation and apparel.

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06/20/06

The DuPont Oval Logo, DuPont™, The miracles of science™, Sorona®, and Hytrel® are registered trademarks or trademarks of DuPont or its affiliates.

Bio-PDO™, is a trademark of DuPont-Tate & Lyle BioProducts, LLC.

Contacts: 
Carole Davies 
DuPont Engineering Polymers  
248-583-8112  
carole.a.davies@usa.dupont.com 

Julian Kestler
Kestler & Co.
609-683-1322
jkestler@patmedia.net