Arkema partners Bioplastics Chair at Mines ParisTech School

20-Jun-09

France's leading chemical producer Arkema is one of the four partners of the Bioplastics Chair created at the Mines Paris Tech school, launched officially on June 18th 2009. The other leading industrial players include L'Oréal, Nestlé Waters, PSA and Schneider Electric. Round-table debates with experts from the school and each of the five partner companies will mark the occasion, with a view to know the benefits of bioplastics, limitations fulfilled by sustainable bioplastics and applications targeted by such high performance materials. Arkema is the world leader in castor oil chemistry, which produces in particular Rilsan® 11, the only high performance polyamide entirely derived from renewable raw materials. The company continues to develop bio-sourced high performance polymers, and since 2007 has been marketing the first range of thermoplastic elastomers directly inspired by castor oil chemistry, Pebax® Rnew. Pebax® Rnew is endorsed by many manufacturers, in particular in the electronics, medical, sports and automotive sectors, for their high added value products, says the company.