June 27, 2007—DuPont recently unveiled a new polymer that is derived entirely from corn, according to a report from the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). Like DuPont’s Sorona, the new polymer, called Cerenol, is derived from 1,3-propanediol (PDO).
In a joint venture with Tate & Lyle, DuPont began producing PDO from corn in 2006, creating a new biobased product called Bio-PDO. Both Sorona and Cerenol are now produced from Bio-PDO. The new entry, Cerenol, is a polyetherdiol, or polyol for short.
According to DuPont, the polymer will mainly be used as an additive in heat transfer fluids, personal care products, and thermoplastic elastomers such as spandex. DuPont also plans to use Cerenol for a new line of automotive primer and clear-coat paints and for new grades of its Hytrel thermoelastic polymers, which are used to make a variety of plastic products.
For more information, visit DuPont’s Renewably Sourced Materials Web site.
