news
Metabolix licenses patent to Natureworks
Bioplastics technology company Metabolix has granted polylactic acid (PLA) polymer maker Natureworks a non- exclusive license to use a patent covering the development and produc- tion of PLA blends with a range of other polymers, including polybutylene succinic (PBS). Natureworks recently
announced a joint venture agreement with biochemi- cals company BioAmber, within which it aims to develop blends of its PLA with BioAmber’s PBS polymers (see Compound- ing World, March 2012, page 8, for more details of the agreement). PLA/PBS blends are expected to provide improvements in both strength and flexibility over PLA. The patent (US 5,883,199)
is owned by the University of Massachusetts Lowell and is licensed by Metabolix. “For areas outside of our technical and commercial focus, we are amenable to licensing arrangements that provide Metabolix the opportunity for a financial participation and pave the way for the introduction of new materials to the marketplace,” said Metabolix president and CEO Richard Eno. ❙
www.metabolix.com ❙
www.natureworksllc.com
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Huber acquires Almatis flame retardant business
J M Huber subsidiary Huber Specialty Hydrates acquired the hydrate flame retardants business of Almatis at the beginning of this month, including its manufacturing operation at Bauxite in Arkansas in the US, and both its Hydral and SpaceRite product lines.
Almatis has been manufac- turing specialty hydrate flame retardants for Huber’s Engineered Materials division since 2010. Huber announced
it plans to continue to manu- facture both of the Hydral and SpaceRite products at the Bauxite facility.
“The addition of the Almatis specialty hydrate business in Bauxite is another exciting step in the growth of Huber’s fire retardant additive busi- ness, as we continue to strengthen our portfolio of non-halogen flame retardant offerings,” said Jerry Bertram, vice president and general manager of the industrial
mineral business of Huber Engineered Materials. l Huber Engineered Materials announced in March that it is to double capacity at its precipitated silica production facility at Jhagadia, in India. Its total annual capacity will be rasied to approximately 35,000 tonnes before the end of the year. Precipitated silica is used in plastics additives applica- tions such as anti-blocking agents. ❙
www.hubermaterials.com
The Teijin Advanced Composites Centre aims to push carbon fibres into American cars
Teijin opens new thermoplastics composites centre in the US
Japanese chemical company Teijin opened its new compos- ites application development centre in Auburn Hills, Michigan, in the US this month. It is designed to help grow applications for the company’s carbon fibre reinforced thermoplastic composites in the North American automotive sector. The Teijin Advanced
Composites Centre (TCAC) will COMPOUNDING WORLD | April 2012
focus on the development of composite applications using the company’s high volume thermoplastics production technologies, which allow cycle times of less than one minute to be achieved. The company says that long production cycles have been the biggest obstacle to penetrating the volume automotive manufacturing sector in the past.
Teijin signed an agreement
in December last year with General Motors to co-develop advanced carbon fibre thermoplastic technologies for high-volume applications in cars and trucks. “This technology holds the potential to be an industry game changer,” said GM vice chairman Steve Girsky at the time of the announcement. ❙
www.teijin.co.jp
www.compoundingworld.com
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