16 February 2012
Overview
NatureWorks
the bio-plastics market leader with its commercial
range of biopolymers
BioAmber
a next-generation chemicals company and a market leader
in the commercialization of bio-succinic acid
have announced the creation of a joint venture
to bring new performance bio-based polymer compositions
to the market.
Partners' strengths
The joint venture builds on the natural synergy that exists
between NatureWorks and BioAmber.
Beyond NatureWorks' PLA technology platform,
NatureWorks brings to the joint venture
* a global commercial presence,
* established customer relationships,
* developed appliation across a breath of industries and
* deep experience in commercializing new-to-the-world polymers
BioAmber owns PLA/PBS compounding intellectual property and
applies biotechnology and chemical processing to produce
renewable chemicals.
These renewable chemicals deliver high-performance ,
low-carbon-footprint building blocks that are
cost competitive to 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 biopolymers resin grades,
and is immediately offering samples of developmental grades
aimed at thermoforming and injection-molding processes.
This new family of developmental compounded resins is designed
for food service ware appliations, expanding the 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 appliation beyond food services will be
assessed over the coming 12 to 24 months
Distribution channel for new products
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 portfolio of biopolymers products
NatureWorks
* 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.
* The properties of PLA and PBS are complementary and
marking the compounds using both materials will result in
a broad and attractive property profile for
a number of different applications
BioAmber
* The AmberWorks JV builds on BioAmber's core business;
the production of cost competitive, renewable chemicals including
- biosuccinic acid
- 1,4-butanediol
* The novel PBS compounding technology has enabled to forward
integrate into polymers and partnership with NatureWorks,
the global market leader in biopolymers, will strengthen and
acceralate market access for the growing portfolio of
renewable solutions
