Wilmington, DE., and Quincy, MA (December 3, 2012) – Piedmont Chemical (Piedmont) announced today a new offering of renewable, sustainable polyester polyols – building-block chemical intermediates used in the production of urethane foams, coatings, adhesives and sealants. Piedmont combines Susterra® propanediol from DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products (DTL) with Bio-Succinic Acid from Myriant Corporation (Myriant) to produce high-purity, 100 percent bio-based polyols that are functionally equal and cost-competitive with petroleum-derived polyols without requiring green-price premiums. The novel polyol formulations, which are made from renewable resources, ultimately enable the production of eco-friendly, sustainable products. The technical specification and polyol samples will be available by year-end for urethane producers looking to utilize "green polyols" for their end-market applications.
The novel polyol formulations combining DTL's Susterra® and Myriant's Bio-Succinic will specifically address the growing global demand for renewable urethanes in industrial applications. According to a 2012 report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc, entitled, "Polyols: A Global Strategic Business Report," the world market for polyols is forecast to reach 4.33 billion pounds by 2017. Renewable polyols, made from various sustainable resources, are witnessing increasing demand as product manufacturers respond to consumers seeking to reduce their carbon footprint, conserve natural resources and live more sustainably. Industrial applications, including paints and coatings, adhesives and sealants, and microcellular elastomers, represent the single largest end-use sector for polyols.
DTL commercially produces Susterra® in Loudon, Tenn., with a capacity of 140 million lbs. per year. The plant has been operational since November 2006. Myriant will begin commercial production of Bio-Succinic Acid in first quarter 2013 in Lake Providence, La., with a capacity of 30 million lbs. per year.
Under a strategic collaboration between Piedmont, DTL and Myriant, the three companies have agreed to an "open innovation" concept by which the polyol formulations will be made available to polyol producers and the urethane industry at large. This means that polyol customers will be able to purchase polyols produced from DTL's Susterra® propanediol and Myriant's Bio-Succinic Acid from Piedmont as well as from other polyol producers. Piedmont will manufacture the initial polyol product samples and will offer commercial supply of the polyol products to the market.
"We have worked with Myriant's and DTL's products for some time now. In deciding on suppliers and collaboration partners it was critical for us to be certain that these renewable chemical building blocks would be available at commercial quantities with the right specification. In the last year, we have become confident that both Myriant and DTL meet these requirements," said Emil Delgado, chief operating officer for Piedmont.
"DTL and Myriant enjoy shared objectives of bringing renewable chemicals to market that offer high performance and cost competitiveness compared to their petroleum-based chemical counterparts," said Steve Hurff, vice president of Marketing and Sales from DTL. "We're looking forward to Piedmont's success in meeting the needs of urethanes producers who are seeking renewable chemical building blocks."
"This is Myriant's second collaboration with DTL and we're proud to team with them again on this opportunity to expand the tool box of renewable building blocks available to polyol producers," said Alif Saleh, vice president, Sales and Marketing for Myriant Corporation. "Myriant is committed to becoming a reliable supplier of Bio Succinic Acid to the polyol producers. By providing open access to the formulations and technical specifications, polyol producers are encouraged to integrate our renewable chemicals for the production of green, cost-competitive polyols."
Myriant utilizes its proprietary technology platform to develop innovative, performance-based, renewable chemicals utilizing low-cost sugars. In December 2010, Myriant broke ground on its flagship 30 million pound commercial bio-succinic acid facility in Lake Providence, La., and anticipates beginning commercial production in early 2013. The company's D(-) lactic acid started production at commercial scale in June 2008 for use in polylactic acid. Myriant has agreements with ThyssenKrupp Uhde GmbH for engineering, Davy Process Technology for the integration of Myriant's bio-succinic acid process with the Davy butanediol process for the production of bio-based butanediol, and PTT Chemical for the commercialization of Myriant's technology in Southeast Asia. Myriant is headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts. Details are available at www.myriant.com.
Piedmont Chemical Industries I, LLC is a subsidiary of Piedmont Chemical Industries Inc., a privately owned chemical manufacturer headquartered in High Point, N.C. Founded in 1938 to support the local textile industry, the corporation has since evolved into 5 different production sites in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee with additional satellite facilities in the Caribbean, Central America and Asia. For more information, visit www.piedmontchemical.com.
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.