ERROR 1
ERROR 1
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
Password and Confirm password must match.
If you have an ACS member number, please enter it here so we can link this account to your membership. (optional)
ERROR 2
ACS values your privacy. By submitting your information, you are gaining access to C&EN and subscribing to our weekly newsletter. We use the information you provide to make your reading experience better, and we will never sell your data to third party members.
Japan's Teijin has agreed to buy a 50% stake in NatureWorks, a Cargill subsidiary that produces plastics from corn sugar. Terms were not disclosed. NatureWorks operates a polylactic acid plant in Blair, Neb., with an annual capacity of 140,000 metric tons. The business was formed in 1997 as a 50-50 joint venture with Dow Chemical, and the partners completed the Blair plant in 2002 at a cost of about $300 million. Three years later, Dow sold its share in the venture to Cargill at a loss, saying that environmentally friendly polymers do not appeal to consumers if they are more expensive than conventional ones. Teijin, one of Japan's largest producers of fibers and polymers, says it is investing in NatureWorks because it is committed to developing environmentally friendly chemical technologies. Last month, Total Petrochemical and Galactic announced that they would build a plant in Belgium for polylactic acid-based plastics (C&EN, Oct. 1, page 21).
Join the conversation
Contact the reporter
Submit a Letter to the Editor for publication
Engage with us on Twitter