WILMINGTON, DE/QUINCY, MA - Piedmont Chemical (Piedmont), High Point, NC, announced a new offering of renewable, sustainable polyester polyols. Piedmont combines Susterra^® propanediol from DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products (DTL) with bio-succinic acid from Myriant Corp. (Myriant), Quincy, MA, to produce high-purity, 100 percent bio-based polyols that are functionally equal and cost-competitive with petroleum-derived polyols without requiring green-price premiums. The polyol formulations, which are made from renewable resources, enable the production of eco-friendly, sustainable products. The technical specification and polyol samples will be available by year-end for urethane producers looking to utilize “green polyols” for their end-market applications.

DTL commercially produces Susterra in Loudon, TN, with a capacity of 140 million lbs per year. The plant has been operational since November 2006. Myriant will begin commercial production of bio-succinic acid in the first quarter 2013 in Lake Providence, LA, with a capacity of 30 million lbs per year.

Under collaboration between Piedmont, DTL and Myriant, the three companies have agreed to an “open innovation” concept by which the polyol formulations will be made available to polyol producers and the urethane industry at large. This means that polyol customers will be able to purchase polyols produced from DTL’s Susterra propanediol and Myriant’s bio-succinic acid from Piedmont as well as from other polyol producers. Piedmont will manufacture the initial polyol product samples and will offer commercial supply of the polyol products to the market.

DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products is a joint venture between DuPont and Tate & Lyle, a renewable food and industrial ingredients company.