(154a) High Performance Polymers Made with Renewable Resources

There is a growing need to develop renewably sourcedTM materials that provide performance and functionality equivalent to or better than petroleum based materials. DuPont is committed to research and development that will increase the use of renewable materials and reduce dependency on petroleum. There are many diverse applications for renewably sourcedTM products ranging from fabrics to carpets, inks and coatings, to construction materials and packaging. DuPont Engineering Polymers 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 DuPontTM Sorona® polymer and DuPontTM Hytrel® RS Thermoplastic Elastomers made with renewable resources. The key ingredient in Sorona® polymer is Bio-PDOTM, which is derived from corn sugar using a proprietary fermentation process. DuPontTM Hytrel® RS Thermoplastic Elastomer will be produced using a 100% bio-derived DuPont polyolTM, CerenolTM, made with Bio-PDOTM. DuPont/Tate & Lyle bioproducts LLC, a joint venture between DuPont and Tate & Lyle, started the first large-scale industrial production of Bio-PDOTM at the Loudon, TN facility in 2006. From a ?cradle-to-gate? perspective, the production of Bio-PDOTM consumes 40% less energy and reduces green house gas emissions by 20% versus petroleum-based 1,3-propanediol. Production of 100 million pounds of Bio-PDOTM in the Loudon plant will save the equivalent of 10 million gallons of gasoline per year. 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. This presentation will provide an overview of the Bio Based Materials Technology Platform, polymer properties, commercialization status and applications of these polymers. More information can be found at our web site: http://www.renewable.dupont.com.