DuPont Tate & Lyle BioProducts increase production of cosmetics ingredient
The joint venture between science-based products and services company DuPont and ingredients company Tate & Lyle markets Bio-PDO to the cosmetics and personal care industry under the brand name Zemea.
Ecocert-approved and NPA-certified Zemea can act as a replacement for glycols such as propylene glycol and butylene glycol or glycerin in products such as moisturizers, shampoos and fragrances.
Production upped on back of increased demand
According to Steve Mirshak, President of DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products, expanding production capacity of the ingredient comes on the back of strong demand for the company’s renewable products.
“We had record sales last year and are already anticipating the need for additional capacity after just three years of operation,” he said.
“This expansion is proof that cutting-edge industrial biotechnology can deliver products that meet the needs of industry and consumers while contributing to a smaller environmental footprint,” he added.
The expansion, which is said to be bringing over 130 construction and engineering jobs to the region, is scheduled to begin in June with completion expected during the second quarter of 2011.
Energy-saver
According to DuPont, the production of Bio-PDO consumes approximately 40 percent less energy than its petroleum-based counterpart.
When the production plant first opened in 2006, it was said to be capable of producing 100 million pounds of Bio-PDO per year, which DuPont claims saves the equivalent of 10 million gallons of gasoline annually.
The corn-based ingredient is also used in the production of fluids such as anti-freeze, and is also a key building block in DuPont’s Sorona polymer that is used in a variety of textile and packaging applications.
