31 March 2014
Details
Amyris and Kuraray (TSE:3405)
announced today the expansion and extension of
their ongoing collaboration
in high performance polymers
using Biofene®, Amyris's brand of renewable farnesene.
Under the transaction agreements,
the parties have extended the duration of
the research and development portion of
their collaboration for at least two more years.
The parties also reaffirmed their commercialization goals
by expanding types of, and fields of use for,
Kuraray polymer products containing Biofene.
As detailed in the agreement,
* Amyris will receive an undisclosed amount of
collaboration funding over the next two years, and
* Kuraray will purchase approximately $4 million of
Amyris's common stock in April of this year.
BEGINNING OF COOPERATION IN 2011
Amyris and Kuraray launched their collaboration
in 2011 with an initial focus on using
Biofene-based polymers
to replace petroleum-derived feedstocks in tires.
During this time, Kuraray has developed
Biofene-based liquid rubber (LFR)
that reacts with tire rubber more easily than
traditional materials and
strengthens adhesion of rubber components
to improve tire shape, stability, and performance.
Today, leading tire manufacturers are conducting
field, safety and performance tests of
Kuraray's Biofene-based liquid rubber
in their tire formulations
with a number of these tests nearing conclusion.
Also, during this period, Kuraray produced and
began customer sampling and product evaluation
for a new category of elastomers,
Hydrogenated Styrenic Farnesene Copolymer (HSFC),
which have shown to have
improved flow properties and low residual strain,
opening opportunities for
vibration dampening product applications.
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