The world-leading biology and materials technology at DuPont has enabled the creation of high-performance materials and fuels that are sourced from renewable feedstocks rather than petroleum. This technology platform is now called DuPont Applied BioSciences. These high performance products perform as well as and, in many instances, better than petroleum-based alternatives. Replacing petrochemical feedstocks with those made with sustainable, renewable resources helps reduce our dependency on depletable petroleum feedstocks while simultaneously reducing the environmental footprint and addressing climate change. To learn more about the products now available, visit www.renewable.dupont.com.
DuPont Applied BioSciences Businesses:
DuPont BioMaterials is delivering high performance products made with renewable materials. Examples of the products available today are:
Zemea™ and Susterra™ propanediol are two grades of 100 percent renewably sourced Bio-PDO™. Zemea™ propanediol has been developed for use in the personal care and liquid detergent categories where the product’s purity level and low irritation are benefits. Susterra™ propanediol is used in industrial applications where its low toxicity and biodegradability are beneficial such as de-icing fluids, anti-freeze and heat transfer fluids.
DuPont™ Sorona® renewably sourced polymer is a high performance polymer that contains 37 percent renewably sourced ingredients by weight. Fabrics made with Sorona® offer a unique combination of attributes including, exceptional softness, comfort, stretch and recovery, and easy care. Additional benefits include resistance to fading from chlorine, ultraviolet rays, repeated washings, and resistance to wrinkling.
Mohawk Industries offers SmartStrand® with DuPont™ Sorona® renewably sourced polymer, an innovative line of residential carpet. As a fiber for residential carpeting, Sorona® offers a luxuriously soft carpet that provides durability and permanent stain protection.
DuPont™ Cerenol™ renewably sourced polyol is a high performance polyol that contains 100 percent renewably sourced ingredients by weight. Cerenol™ can replace petroleum-based ingredients without compromising functionality. It offers value-added properties and can increase process efficiencies for a broad range of products in diverse markets including personal care, functional fluids and high-performance elastomers.
DuPont BioFuels is an industry leader in biofuels by providing advantaged, sustainable biofuels innovations for agricultural energy crops, feedstock processing and advanced biofuels. A three-part strategy is delivering new technologies to the growing biofuels market to add diversity to the transportation fuels sector and reduce global reliance on petroleum. The strategy includes: (1) improving existing ethanol production through differentiated agriculture seed products and crop protection chemicals; (2) developing and supplying new technologies to allow conversion of cellulose to biofuels; and (3) developing and supplying next generation biofuels with improved performance. Key programs include:
DuPont and BP are developing new technologies to bring advanced biofuels to market that can help overcome the limitation of existing biofuels. Biobutanol is an advanced biofuel that performs more like unleaded gasoline than traditional biofuels. In addition, it can be blended in higher concentrations without the need to modify vehicles and does not phase separate in water, allowing it to be transported using the existing fuel pipeline infrastructure.
DuPont and the Genencor division of Danisco have formed a $140 million joint venture to commercialize the leading technology package for non-food based, cellulosic ethanol production. The joint venture will integrate science across the three-step ethanol production process to bring a proprietary, low cost cellulosic ethanol solution to market. The first pilot plant will be operational next year and the first commercial-scale production is expected in 2012.
DuPont BioSpecialties is focused on creating new, highly differentiated offerings made with renewable feedstocks utilizing applied bioscience. There are two public programs today: biosurfaces and sustainable omega-3 fatty acids. Biosurfaces is focused on delivering breakthrough products that can attach a wide variety of benefits to a wide variety of surfaces using highly specific and effective peptide binding technologies that deliver a substantially better end user experience. Target markets include laundry/textiles, skin care/cosmetics, medical devices, hair care, industrial and oral care. The sustainable omega-3 fatty acid program goal is to develop a clean, sustainable source of EPA and DHA through fermentation to reduce consumer reliance on fish oil, a product that is constrained and in danger of collapse. The omega-3 program is targeting the human nutrition and aquaculture markets for this new technology.
DuPont BioMedical is developing transformative products through tunable, chemistry-based materials to the medical device markets. This is the only program at Applied BioSciences that does not utilize renewable materials but uses chemical and materials science capabilities. The business is targeting would closure and care, adhesion prevention products and interventional devices.
Partnerships:
Established in 2004, DuPont Tate & Lyle BioProducts LLC provides two grades of Bio-PDO™, the key ingredient in the DuPont Renewably Sourced Materials portfolio.
DuPont formed an alliance with Mohawk Industries as the North American residential flooring partner, bringing to market SmartStrand® with DuPont™ Sorona® renewably sourced polymer.
DuPont and BP have a partnership to develop biobutanol, an advanced biofuel that will utilize agricultural feedstocks to create a high-performance biofuel.
DuPont, BP and British Sugar are building an ethanol facility in the United Kingdom under the Vivergo Fuels joint venture.
DuPont and the Genencor division of Danisco have formed a joint venture, DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol LLC venture to develop and commercialize the leading, low-cost technology solution for the production of cellulosic ethanol.
DuPont is leading a research program jointly funded by the U.S. Department of Energy to develop an integrated process to convert cellulosic feedstocks into biofuels by utilizing the entire corn plant, not the grain or corn kernel.
DuPont has partnered with medical device company BioSphere Medical, Inc., to evaluate potential peripheral vascular and embolotherapy research, development, and manufacturing engineering projects.
