Green Material PDO Plant Expansion at DuPont Tate and Lyle

Dupont Tate and Lyle announced that they were expanding their Louden Tennessee 1,3 propanediol plant to 135 million pounds from 100 million pounds.

1,3 propanediol is used directly as an additive (Zemea) in cosmetics, but it is also used in Sonora polyester polymers. Polymers of the 1,3 propanediol are more flexible than the 1,2 propanediol or propylene glycol (which is made from propylene.)

1,3 propanediol

In the big picture, this 1,3 propanediol represents one of two chemical plants using enzymatic feedstocks to make chemicals, with Cargill Natureworks lactic acid being the other. Both plants have been expanded recently.

This shows that non-petroleum feedstocks can compete without subsidy, although in both cases customers are paying a premium to be using renewable feedstocks.