PURAC, TOYOBO announce strategic partnership to produce renewable materials for packaging

26-Feb-09

World leader in lactic acid and lactides, PURAC (Netherlands) and developer of high-performance products, TOYOBO (Japan) have announced forming a strategic partnership for the production of renewable materials from the non-GMO lactides monomers of PURAC. The renewable materials will be broadly introduced into the European market by TOYOBO in March 2009 under the brand name VYLOECOL®. VYLOECOL® is a patented amorphous and biodegradable poly lactic acid (PLA) and is soluble in standard organic solvents. The intended applications are as coatings or adhesives for packaging films and materials. The use of VYLOECOL® will offer the opportunity to develop fully biobased and biodegradable materials for coatings or adhesives in packaging films and materials. VYLOECOL® is made from lactides supplied by PURAC. PURAC markets these lactides, under the brand name PURALACT™, to a select group of partners who convert the monomers into specialty value added polymers. The unique D- Lactide technology of PURAC enables these partners to develop innovative solutions to improve temperature resistance, one of the main features limiting application of regular PLA. PURAC, headquartered in Netherlands, is the worldwide market leader in lactic acid, lactic acid derivatives and lactides while TOYOBO, based in Japan, develops high-performance products for films and functional polymers, industrial materials, and life Science.