BERLIN, Nov. 6, 2012 – DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers (DuPont) announced that it is launching a new series of a renewably sourced tie-resins and polymer modifiers in collaboration with Braskem, as an extension of the DuPont™ Bynel^® and DuPont™ Fusabond^® resin families. The products are designed to either meet or exceed the performance of equivalent petroleum-derived products and add to the growing DuPont suite of solutions for increased sustainability.  They are also fully recyclable in polyethylene (PE) waste-streams.

 

Through the partnership, which was officially announced at this year's European Bioplastics Conference in Berlin, Germany, DuPont will use renewably sourced PE from Braskem to produce materials that are drop-in alternatives to the company’s conventional petroleum based tie-resins and polymer modifiers. As such, users can achieve enhanced environmental credentials without any sacrifice in performance or processibility.  

 

"These two materials are used in many applications across a number of industries," said Shanna Moore, global sustainability director, DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers. “We are committed to helping customers achieve their goals for enhanced sustainability of their offerings. Through our dedicated research and development efforts and partnerships, such as this one with Braskem, we are able to successfully address our customers' desires to reduce their overall carbon footprint."

 

“Braskem is engaged to turning this development of Bynel® and Fusabond® resin families into a long and fruitful partnership with DuPont,” said Marcelo Nunes, business director for Braskem’s Renewable Chemicals. “We know that the use of drop-in biopolymers in products for the multi-layer packages and films industry is a trend, and this business will show great growth.”  The polyethylene developed by Braskem uses renewably sourced sugar cane ethanol instead of petroleum-based materials. According to Braskem, their product, which is trademarked “I’m green™” Green Polyethylene, offers a positive environmental impact in comparison with the petroleum-based polyethylene because across the complete supply chain, it captures and fixes CO₂ from the atmosphere.

 

Braskem's commitment to the environment and its approach to sustainable manufacture attracted DuPont, in addition to the fact that both companies have strong environmental mission statements.  DuPont has extensive know-how in the design of multilayer packaging structures and in formulations of polymer compounds.  Combining this know-how with new materials will enable further penetration of bio-based polymers into more sophisticated structures.

 

DuPont™ Bynel® coextrudable adhesive resins, which are often called tie layers, help packaging manufacturers optimize barrier, heat seal and other functions in multi-layer structures such as films, bottles, tubes and thermoformable sheet. DuPont offers the packaging industry's broadest selection of these specialized resins.  With these new renewably sourced grades, DuPont aims to help multilayer packaging manufacturers that have started to use Braskem’s green polyethylene to increase the renewable material content in their overall structures.

 

Resins in the DuPont™ Fusabond® product line are modified polymers that have been functionalized (typically by maleic anhydride grafting) to help bond together dissimilar polymers used in toughened, filled and blended compounds.  Like the Bynel® product family, DuPont offers a wide product range to best match the demands of specific applications. Target applications for renewably sourced grades of Fusabond® include applications like wood/plastic composites, starch/PE compounds and glass-fibre/PE compounds where use of a renewably sourced modifier significantly increases the renewable material percentage in the structures.

 

Drawing from an extensive mix of adhesives, sealants, modifiers; barrier and peelable-lidding resins, DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers works with customers around the world on packaging initiatives that help protect the product, environment, improve shelf appeal, convenience and reduce cost in the food, cosmetics, medical products and other consumer goods and industrial packaging.

 

Braskem is the Americas top thermoplastic resins producer and the world’s leading producer of biopolymers. With 36 industrial plants spread across Brazil, United States and Germany, the company produces over 16 million tons of thermoplastic resins and other petrochemicals per year.  With the vision to become the global leader in sustainable chemistry, innovating to better serve people, Braskem has a 200 kton/year green ethylene plant that allow the production of polyethylene from sugarcane-based ethanol. Braskem is the first producer of green polyethylene and polypropylene made from 100 percent renewable raw materials, verified by ASTM International.  Today, its I’m green^TM product portfolio supports leading consumer products companies to deliver more sustainable products to the society.

 

DuPont (NYSE: DD) has been bringing world-class science and engineering to the global marketplace in the form of innovative products, materials, and services since 1802.  The company believes that by collaborating with customers, governments, NGOs, and thought leaders we can help find solutions to such global challenges as providing enough healthy food for people everywhere, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, and protecting life and the environment.  For additional information about DuPont and its commitment to inclusive innovation, please visit www.dupont.com.

 

 

11/6/12

 

The DuPont Oval Logo, DuPont™, The miracles of science™, Bynel^® and Fusabond^®  are registered trademarks or trademarks of DuPont or its affiliates. 

I’m green^TM is a trademark of Braskem.