Sinoven, which has a sales office in Philadelphia and a manufacturing and formulation development facility in Shanghai, will also expand DNP's reach into China. Sinoven will also now have access to succinic acid and 1,4 butanediol produced by DNP Green; a supply arrangement it believes will drive down the cost of its modified PBS. DNP, which has offices in Princeton, NJ and Montreal, has formed a joint venture called Bioamber to scale up and commercialize its succinic acid technology. In December 2009, Sinoven and Bioamber signed a supply agreement for biobased succinic acid. The agreement called for Bioamber to be the exclusive supplier of biobased succinic acid for Sinoven. Bioamber's succinic acid is produced from wheat-derived glucose at a 2000-tonnes/yr facility in Pomacle, France.
Sinoven says its modified PBS has higher performance than some competitive biodegradable polymers, with heat resistance above 100°C and the ability to be processed in existing production equipment. The company also claims it will be the first to commercialize PBS with renewable content above 50%. Applications for Sinoven's PBS include foodservice coffee lids, cups, dishes, cutlery, straws, and stirrers, as well as consumer use products such as disposable razors, writing instruments, and cosmetics packaging. —Tony Deligio
