DuPont, Tate & Lyle, and Mohawk Industries replace petroleum with renewable resources
DuPont’s world-leading biology and materials technology has enabled the creation of high performance products that are sourced from renewable, farm grown feedstocks rather than petroleum. These high performance products perform as well as and, in many instances, better than petroleum-based alternatives. Replacing petrochemical feedstocks with those made with renewable resources helps reduce our dependency on depletable petroleum feedstocks while simultaneously reducing the company’s environmental footprint.
In May 2004, DuPont and Tate & Lyle formed a joint venture, DuPont Tate & Lyle BioProducts, to build one of the largest bio-materials processing facilities in the world in Loudon, Tenn. At full capacity, the plant is capable of producing 100 million pounds per year of Bio-PDO™. Using a renewably sourced ingredient will reduce dependence on petroleum and petrochemical-based feedstocks, while increasing rural development and supporting sustainable agriculture. Bio-PDO™is the key ingredient for Sorona®, the latest polymer invention from DuPont. Sorona® made with renewable resources will be commercially available later this year. The Sorona® available in stores today is made via the traditional petrochemical-based manufacturing process.
Apparel fabrics made with Sorona® offer a unique combination of attributes including exceptional softness, comfort, stretch and recovery, and easy care – perfect for today’s busy lifestyles. Additional benefits include resistance to fading from chlorine, ultraviolet rays, and repeated washings, plus resistance to wrinkling.
Mohawk’s Smartstrand® with DuPont™ Sorona® Residential Carpet
A new line of residential carpeting offered by Mohawk Industries includes the innovative technology of DuPont™ Sorona®. Mohawk’s SmartStrand™ with DuPont™ Sorona® polymer produced using the chemical version of Sorona® is available in stores now. The carpet line, made with Bio-PDO™, will be available later this year. This new technology, offered exclusively by Mohawk, promises consumers durability, crush resistance, resilience, and permanent stain resistance, along with the confidence that comes from Mohawk, one of the most recognized names in flooring, and DuPont, a leading supplier of innovative materials and technologies.
Mohawk’s SmartStrand™ with DuPontTM Sorona® offers everything consumers want in a carpet:
Permanent protection against stains;
Exceptional, long-lasting durability;
Softness and luxurious tactile aesthetic;
Variety of beautiful styles and colors; and
Revolutionary cleanability.
With SmartStrand™ made with DuPont™ Sorona®, Mohawk is able for the first time to provide the durability of high-performance fibers with stain resistance that is engineered into the fiber, so it will never wear or wash off, no matter how many times it is cleaned. This built-in stain resistance reaches new levels of protection, allowing tough stains such as mustard, red wine and cherry Kool-Aid® to be removed simply with warm water and a mild detergent, or with Mohawk FloorCare™ Essentials.
“This innovative new product adds a whole new dimension to fiber technology; it is unlike anything the industry has seen in over 20 years. It’s exciting to find this level of durability, stain resistance, and softness all in one fiber.”
— Mohawk Industries’ CEO Jeffrey S. Lorberbaum
The DuPont Oval, DuPont™, The miracles of science™, Bio-PDO™ and Sorona® are registered trademarks or trademarks of DuPont or its affiliates. SmartStrand™ and FloorCare™ are trademarks of Mohawk Industries, Inc. For more information visit: www.Sorona.com