Vegetable-based plasticizer garners prize, and continued investment

Roquette, the French starch and starch-derivatives business and world leader in polyols (sugar alcohols), was awarded the 2009 Pierre Potier prize for its launch of a new plasticizer, Polysorb ID 37, made from renewable resources and marketed as a phthalate-free alternative for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) processing. The safety of phthalate plasticizers continues to generate controversy, as reported recently in our article here.

The Pierre Potier prize was created in 2006 on the initiative of the French Ministry for the Economy, Finance and Industry, and it annually recognizes chemical companies who commit themselves to innovation for sustainable development.

Roquette says its Polysorb ID 37 is a composition of isosorbide diesters produced from fatty acids derived from vegetables, and isosorbide obtained by dehydration of a derivative of sorbitol. Nontoxic and biodegradable, it also  has both excellent compatibility with PVC and very low volatility, reports Roquette. The supplier has obtained authorization to begin high-volume production of the material. Last summer (June 2008) the firm built a 100-tonne/year demonstration unit in Lestrem, France for the plasticizer, using feedstock from a 1000-tonne/year material industrial isosorbide unit it built in 2007. —[email protected]