KING OF PRUSSIA, PA — Arkema announced that its SYNAQUA^® 4856 alkyd has been approved to carry the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Certified Biobased Product label. SYNAQUA 4856 alkyd is made from 97% bio-based raw materials coming from byproducts of predominately NORDIC foresting, and is APEO-, ammonia-, solvent- and plasticizer-free. SYNAQUA 4856 alkyd can help formulators achieve a wide range of desirable benefits in their interior wall paint and primer formulations, including gloss potential, chemical and scrub resistance, hardness development and more.

“The USDA certified bio-based label guarantees customers that SYNAQUA 4856 alkyd contains a USDA-verified amount of renewable biological ingredients, and it offers all the benefits of conventional products in terms of cost, availability and performance,” said Chantal Roidot, Global Marketing Manager for Architectural Coatings at Arkema. “As an industry champion of sustainability, SYNAQUA 4856 alkyd is just one of Arkema’s cutting-edge solutions and value-added sustainably engineered products intended to meet customers' performance and sustainability needs.” 

The bio-based label assures that the percentage of renewable bio-based content is third-party certified and strictly monitored by the USDA. The label is part of the USDA-led BioPreferred^® Program that assists the development and expansion of markets for bio-based products. Bio-based products are derived from plants and other forestry materials rather than conventional petroleum-based products.

SYNAQUA 4856 alkyd is a waterborne binder that offers a balance of properties for interior low-emission matte to gloss paints that can provide a range of benefits, including low-VOC capabilities, good hardness, yellowing resistance, good whiteness, high gloss (where desired), good drying and more.

According to a report commissioned in 2021 by USDA Rural Development, An Economic Impact Analysis of the U.S. Biobased Products Industry, the bio-based industry is a substantial generator of economic activity and jobs, and has a significant positive impact on the environment. The bio-based industry has contributed a total of $470 billion value added to the U.S. economy and supported a total of 4.6 million American jobs through direct, indirect and induced contributions. Additionally, biobased products displace about 9.4 million barrels of oil a year. 

Arkema focuses key aspects of its sustainability and innovation research on solutions to eliminate HAPs and other hazardous materials from work processes, a wide range of waterborne and high-solids products, and others including bio-based products using renewable raw materials to produce green chemicals and bio-plastics.

“Sustainable solutions are at the core of Arkema's R&D strategy and are driven by our commitment to sustainable innovation,” said Virginie Delcroix, Vice President, Sustainable Development. “The development of new sustainable products is based on five innovation platforms: lightweight materials and design, electronic solutions, new energies, home efficiency and insulation, and natural resources management. Our bio-based products are a key component of our pioneering and sustainable solutions that meet a real market demand.”

Additional information about SYNAQUA 4856 alkyd can be found at http://www.arkemacoatingresins.com/en/innovation/synaqua-4856/#. To learn more about Arkema’s corporate sustainability efforts, visit www.arkema.com/global/en/social-responsibility/.