The bioeconomy at work: Meredian Inc. acquires PHA technology from Procter & Gamble
Meredian, Inc. announced the acquisition of an extensive intellectual property portfolio from Procter & Gamble relating to Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) technology. Procter & Gamble developed the technology through more than a decade of research, resulting in a highly functional and cost effective material.
Meredian will use the technology to manufacture new biopolymers using renewable resources, further reducing the global dependence on petroleum products in the production of plastics.
Polyhydroxyalkanoates are naturally-occurring polymers produced by bacteria. A variety of bacterial species produce PHAs by fermenting biomass under nutrient-limiting conditions. These water-insoluble storage polymers are biodegradable, exhibit thermoplastic properties and can be produced from renewable carbon sources found in plants (schemtic, click to enlarge).
PHA based polymers can be used in many applications, including molded goods, paper coatings, non-woven fabrics, performance additives. As a family of biopolymers, they have functional properties sufficient to replace a significant portion of the 300 billion pounds of petroleum-based plastics used worldwide today.
Meredian expects to begin construction in 2008 on the first of four planned production facilities; the first will be located in the Southeastern United States. Meredian plans to produce over 600 million pounds of biopolymers annually.
Meredian polymers work well in many traditional plastic applications by retaining product quality and convenience while reducing the burden on landfills. Meredian polymers will biodegrade either aerobically or anaerobically. This means the material will be quickly reabsorbed into the natural environment with no adverse ecological or health affects. Degradation occurs in septic systems, commercial waste water treatment systems, composting environments or even cold ocean waters. In these environments, naturally occurring bacteria use Meredian polymers as a food source and accelerate degradation:
energy :: sustainability :: biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: biopolymer :: bioplastic :: biodegradable :: PHA :: bioeconomy ::
S. Blake Lindsey, President of Meredian, says that given the unique physical property range of existing Meredian biopolymers - DaniMer and Seluma - the company expects to see a wide array of applications, from highly flexible films and fibers to rigid packaging, including many single-use food service and liquid packaging applications.
The combination of biopolymers will enable the company to provide synergies within the technology platforms and will result in one of the world's most versatile biopolymer product lines.
P&G was seeking an enthusiastic company that could efficiently commercialize its intellectual property on polymers. Meredian was selected because of its dedication to biopolymers and ability to take the development work to the next level - delivering finished products to the market.
References:
U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: Biomass Program - Production of Polyhydroxyalkanoate Polymers.
Meredian will use the technology to manufacture new biopolymers using renewable resources, further reducing the global dependence on petroleum products in the production of plastics.
Polyhydroxyalkanoates are naturally-occurring polymers produced by bacteria. A variety of bacterial species produce PHAs by fermenting biomass under nutrient-limiting conditions. These water-insoluble storage polymers are biodegradable, exhibit thermoplastic properties and can be produced from renewable carbon sources found in plants (schemtic, click to enlarge).
PHA based polymers can be used in many applications, including molded goods, paper coatings, non-woven fabrics, performance additives. As a family of biopolymers, they have functional properties sufficient to replace a significant portion of the 300 billion pounds of petroleum-based plastics used worldwide today.
Meredian expects to begin construction in 2008 on the first of four planned production facilities; the first will be located in the Southeastern United States. Meredian plans to produce over 600 million pounds of biopolymers annually.
Meredian polymers work well in many traditional plastic applications by retaining product quality and convenience while reducing the burden on landfills. Meredian polymers will biodegrade either aerobically or anaerobically. This means the material will be quickly reabsorbed into the natural environment with no adverse ecological or health affects. Degradation occurs in septic systems, commercial waste water treatment systems, composting environments or even cold ocean waters. In these environments, naturally occurring bacteria use Meredian polymers as a food source and accelerate degradation:
energy :: sustainability :: biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: biopolymer :: bioplastic :: biodegradable :: PHA :: bioeconomy ::
S. Blake Lindsey, President of Meredian, says that given the unique physical property range of existing Meredian biopolymers - DaniMer and Seluma - the company expects to see a wide array of applications, from highly flexible films and fibers to rigid packaging, including many single-use food service and liquid packaging applications.
The combination of biopolymers will enable the company to provide synergies within the technology platforms and will result in one of the world's most versatile biopolymer product lines.
P&G was seeking an enthusiastic company that could efficiently commercialize its intellectual property on polymers. Meredian was selected because of its dedication to biopolymers and ability to take the development work to the next level - delivering finished products to the market.
References:
U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: Biomass Program - Production of Polyhydroxyalkanoate Polymers.
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