AmberWorks aims to commercialize new bio-based polymers.
NatureWorks(www.natureworksllc.com), the bio-plastics market leader with its commercial
range of Ingeo™ biopolymers, andBioAmber (www.bio-amber.com), a
next-generation chemicals company and a market leader in the commercialization
of bio-succinic acid, have announced the creation ofAmberWorks, a joint
venture to bring new performance bio-based polymer compositions to market.
The joint venture builds on the
natural synergy that exists between NatureWorks and BioAmber. Beyond its Ingeo
PLA technology platform, NatureWorks brings to the joint venture a global
commercial presence, established customer relationships, developed applications
across a breadth of industries and deep experience in commercializing
new-to-the-world polymers. BioAmber owns PLA/PBS compounding intellectual
property and applies award-winning biotechnology and chemical processing to
produce renewable chemicals. These renewable chemicals deliver high-performance,
low-carbon-footprint building blocks that are cost competitive with their
petrochemical equivalents. The joint venture combines the best of both
companies into an entity tasked with developing a new family of bio-based compounded
polymer solutions.
With the formation of the joint
venture, NatureWorks plans to commercialize a new family of compounded Ingeo
resin grades, and is immediately offering samples of developmental grades aimed
at thermoforming and injection-molding processes. This new family of
developmental Ingeo compounded resins is designed for food service ware
applications, expanding the Ingeo property range in terms of flexibility,
toughness, heat resistance, and drop-in processability on existing
manufacturing equipment. Based
on market interest, further formulated solutions optimized for a number of
different applications beyond food service will be assessed over the coming 12 to 24
months.
Compounded PLA/PBS resin grades,
developed and manufactured by AmberWorks, will be marketed exclusively through the
NatureWorks global commercial organization as new and distinct solutions within
the company’s Ingeo portfolio of products.
“The new product range being
developed by the joint venture enables NatureWorks to broaden its existing
product portfolio, allowing for bio-based product solutions in applications
that were previously difficult to address,” says Marc Verbruggen, president and
chief executive officer, NatureWorks. “The properties of PLA and PBS are
complementary and making Ingeo compounds using both materials will result in a
broad and attractive property profile for a number of different applications.”
