ADM to add biobased chemicals unit

Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), which has tangential contact with the burgeoning biobased chemicals industry via its industrial fermentation of ethanol, will now move downstream, via the formation of an industrial chemicals group on Oct. 29. ADM describes itself as “one of the world’s largest processors of renewable feedstocks,” and it believes that renewable, biobased industrial chemicals fit into two overriding trends: improving products environmental footprint and reduced usage of petroleum.

Details were relatively scant on planned products, but on ADM’s web site, the company lists competencies in solvents, including ethyl lactate as a replacement for chlorinated solvents used to soften plastics; and chemical intermediates, including co-products used in the production of ethyl acrylate, vinegar, ethylamines, glycol esters, and ethyl acetate.

The unit will be supervised by John Rice, executive VP, commercial and production at ADM, and it has hired Janet Mann to act as general manager. Mann comes to ADM from Chemtura, where she was VP and general manager of performance specialties. ADM has more 27,000 employees, working from 240 processing plants, and generated net sales for fiscal year ended June 30, 2007 of $44 billion.—[email protected]