Natureworks has signed a technical development agreement with avantium to explore the commercial properties of a plantbased biopolymer that has the potential to provide greater durability and offer a nonfood sourced alternative solution. Avantium&rsquos furanics technology produces a monomer from cellulose plant sugars that could work as a fuel or polymer source. Amsterdambased avantium already has captured great interest in europe for its furanics technology, a process using cellulosebased sugars to produce a monomer for polymers and biofuel. Already, the development company has produced an automotive fuel source from the material. Natureworks and avantium will jointly develop the technology to produce a building block called furandicarbonylic acid fdca that can be polymerized to produce materials similar to those used in injection molding grades of plastic, such as polyethylene, said natureworks spokesman steve davies. The minnetonka, mnbased company is expected to make an announcement next year on a second plant site, possibly in europe or asia. However, plantbased polymers are a major growth area, spurred by european countries expressing concerns over the use of genetically modified food products for plastics. Avantium&rsquos furanics process could produce stronger injection moldable grades of plastics that offer high heat stability.
