DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products Start Producing Bio-PDO in Tennessee

28/11/06 DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products, LLC, an equally owned joint venture of DuPont and Tate & Lyle, announced the first commercial shipments of Bio-PDO from its $100 million facility here. The Loudon facility produces 1,3-propanediol (Bio-PDO) from renewable resources – in this case corn sugar – making it the first facility in the world to manufacture this new bio-based product.

The joint venture uses a proprietary fermentation process developed jointly by DuPont and Tate & Lyle to produce Bio-PDO using corn instead of petroleum-based feedstocks. The production of Bio-PDO consumes 40 percent less energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent versus petroleum-based propanediol.  Production of 100 million pounds of Bio-PDO will save the energy equivalent of 10 million gallons of gasoline per year, or enough to fuel 22,000 cars annually.

“Bio-PDO is a versatile ingredient for a number of products including specialty polymers such as Sorona, and also is well suited for cosmetics, liquid detergents and industrial applications like anti-freeze,” said DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products President Steven Mirshak. “We are seeing strong demand for all of our grades of Bio-PDO due to its performance, biodegradable nature, and ability to replace petroleum-derived products. Wherever a glycol is being used today, businesses should consider replacing it with our new renewable ingredient.”

“The first shipments of Bio-PDO from Loudon mark the beginning of the commercial availability of DuPont’s bio-based pipeline, which is designed to deliver high performance, renewably sourced materials,” said DuPont Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer Thomas M. Connelly. “The technology that was developed to make the various grades of Bio-PDO a reality holds great promise.  It is a clear demonstration that this new technology can offer new opportunities for products in every major market segment in our economy.”

D. Lynn Grider, President of Tate & Lyle’s U.S. Food & Industrial Ingredients Division, said, “Tate & Lyle scientists have been developing products from renewable resources such as corn, wheat and sugar for over 80 years and Bio-PDO is an excellent addition to our industrial ingredient portfolio. By continuing to invest in research, and through strategic partnerships, we can help meet the world’s increasing demand for products from renewable resources that match or exceed the functionality of petroleum-based alternatives.  Achieving first commercial shipment is a significant milestone for the joint venture and marks the important move from theoretical to practical.”

The first shipments of Bio-PDO were sent to DuPont for the manufacture of DuPont Sorona polymer and to a customer evaluating a new industrial product formulated with Bio-PDO. Bio-PDO can be used in a variety of applications, either by itself or as an ingredient in the production of materials that have traditionally been based on petroleum feedstocks. 

The joint venture also announced the launch of two new brand names for Bio-PDO. Zemea propanediol will be the name of products introduced in the personal care and liquid detergent categories where the products’ purity level and low irritation are benefits. For industrial applications such as de-icing fluids, anti-freeze and heat transfer fluids where its low toxicity and biodegradability are beneficial, Bio-PDO will be branded Susterra propanediol.