DuPont and Tate & Lyle Invest in Corn-Based Polymers

DuPont and Tate & Lyle have begun construction on a $100 million plant in Loudon, Tennessee, that will convert corn into 1,3 propanediol (PDO). The product, also known as Bio-PDO™, will replace petroleum-based PDO in the production of Sonora^®, DuPont’s newest polymer, used in clothing, carpeting, plastics, and other products. The production of Bio-PDO requires 30 to 40% less energy than the production of petroleum-derived PDO, according to the companies. More information is online at www.dupont.com/sorona/ and at www.tateandlyle.co.uk (click on “media centre” and then “latest news”).