Gruber, Patrick R., John N. Starr. POLYMERS FROM RENEWABLE RESOURCES
15305 Minnetonka Boulevard, Minnetonka, MN 55345 (jack_starr@cargilldow.com)
Cargill Dow is uniquely positioned to be the first company to develop a significant, new thermoplastic business based on the use of annually renewable resources. The NatureWorks(TM) family of PLA polymers represents a real breakthrough in terms of the balance of cost, functional performance, and environmental performance that can be achieved. Cargill Dow is currently building a world-scale manufacturing facility with a capacity of 300 million pounds per year as a cost of over several hundred million dollars.
In this presentation, I will talk about the products and why they are valuable. The chemistry from lactic acid to lactide to polymer will be discussed. Finally, I will share our thoughts on the principles of sustainability and the principles of designing chemical products for the emerging green chemicals market.