Cargill Dow Polymers, a joint venture between Cargill Inc. and the Dow Chemical Company,
will build the first large-scale bioplastic plant in Blair, Nebraska. It will produce raw material for plastic cups, packaging, and fabric from corn, replacing common petroleum plastics like polyethylene, polystyrene and polypropylene. The bioplastic products are expected to compete with oil-based products on price and performance. The 140,000 metric ton plant will be completed late next year at a cost of $300 million.
The technology, called “NatureWorks”, makes polyactide polymers (chains of lactic acid) by converting starch into sugar and then fermenting it to yield lactic acid. Water is removed to form lactide, which is made into a resin using solvent-free polymerization. The material composts into carbon dioxide and water. Agricultural waste from rice and wheat may also be used in the future. Cargill expects to begin construction of a large European plant in two years.
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