DuPont Tate & Lyle Venture Partners With Cryotech to Launch Corn-Derived Deicing Fluid
22 March 2007
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| The Integrated Corn Biorefinery concept. Click to enlarge. |
DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products LLC, a joint venture between DuPont and Tate & Lyle, is partnering with Cryotech Deicing Technology to introduce Susterra propanediol, a new 100% renewably sourced product for runway deicing formulations marketed to airports and the aviation industry.
Susterra propanediol is part of a family of renewable products based on Bio-PDO, a novel monomer that was developed jointly by DuPont and Tate & Lyle and is produced via fermentation using a patented microorganism at the joint venture’s site in Loudon, Tenn. (Earlier post.) Bio-PDO is a replacement for petrochemical-based 1,3-propanediol (PDO) and/or 1,4-butanediol (BDO).
DuPont has been working for several years on the concept of an Integrated Corn-Based Biorefinery (ICBR). The ICBR takes both corn grain and corn stover (cellulosic feedstock) streams and convert them to a series of major products: value-added Chemicals (such as Bio-PDO); electricity (co-generation); and ethanol.
The production of Bio-PDO consumes 40% less energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 20% versus petroleum-based propanediol.
Susterra propanediol eliminates the need for petroleum-based feedstocks while providing low toxicity and biodegradability to applications such as deicing fluids, anti-freeze and heat transfer fluids. In deicing applications, it significantly reduces energy use and emissions over other propylene glycol formulations, according to the company.
Cryotech will market the propanediol runway deicer formulation under the name Cryotech BX36. BX36, an AMS 1435 certified fluid, underwent successful field trials at international airports, including Lambert-St. Louis International Airport in Missouri. In addition, Cryotech is finalizing a trial with a courier airline for use of BX36 on their ramps. BX36 will be available for use at airports beginning the winter of 2007-2008.
Won't Global Warming make this product superfluous?
Posted by: DS | 22 March 2007 at 05:50 PM
No, it will still be needed to counter the Gore Effect - the ice storms and whatnot that happen whenever he talks about global warming.
Posted by: Matthew | 23 March 2007 at 05:32 AM
GW will make many of us superfluous.
Posted by: tom | 23 March 2007 at 06:10 AM
I love how people blame GW for everything wrong. You people are awesome, you define the world's problems so easily. I wish I could do that.
Posted by: Concerned | 23 March 2007 at 01:26 PM