Breakthrough in Production of Bio-Based 1, 3 Propanediol Announced
November 29, 2006
On November 27, 2006 DuPont Tate & Lyle BioProducts, LLC announced that by using an innovative proprietary fermentation and purification process, it has become the first manufacturer of 1, 3 propanediol as a bio-based product at its $100 million facility in Loudon, Tennessee. 1,3 propanediol, made from corn sugar, can be used to replace glycol, a petroleum-based product, in various polymer materials as well as being a key ingredient in a wide variety of household and personal care products such as cosmetics and detergents.
This revolutionary plant paves the way for partnerships with the Department of Energy (DOE) for introducing the development of advanced integrated biorefineries. DuPont currently collaborates with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in the development of the Integrated Corn-Based Biorefinery (ICBR), an ethanol plant using next-generation technology to convert traditional biofuels as well as cellulosic biomass which would normally be left as waste.
Through its industrial partnerships with companies such as DuPont, the DOE is making a number of significant breakthroughs in economical and effective technologies to breakdown cellulosic material into simpler sugars which then can be fermented to ethanol or other biofuels. Developing lower cost methods for converting plant material into sugars will help the United States meet the President's Biofuels Initiative goal of making “…this kind of ethanol practical and competitive in six years” by striving for the Advanced Biofuels Initiative target for ethanol production costs of $1.07 per gallon by 2012.
For more information go to the DuPont Tate & Lyle press release at:
