Jun 20 2007
Metabolix Inc. today announced that Telles(TM), its joint venture with Archer Daniels Midland that produces Mirel(TM) natural plastics, has introduced three new grades of Mirel(TM) resins. The grades are Mirel P1001 and P1002 for injection molding applications and Mirel P2001 for paper coating. Mirel is a family of biobased, sustainable and biodegradable, semi-crystalline natural plastics.
For injection molding, Mirel P1001 is specifically engineered to replace styrenics such as polystyrene and Mirel P1002 replaces polyolefins such as polypropylene. "Mirel injection molding grades can be easily processed on conventional injection molding equipment", said Bob Findlen, VP of Sales and Marketing at Telles.
Mirel P2001 was developed as an alternative to petroleum-based paper coatings to enable the production of fully biodegradable paper coated cups and food packaging. "Mirel offers high heat resistance making it a superior biobased and biodegradable coating material for hot cups and microwaveable packages," said Findlen.
Mirel is a versatile brand of natural plastics produced from renewable resources like corn sugar that provides an excellent alternative to traditional, oil-based plastics. Unlike conventional plastics, Mirel will biodegrade harmlessly back to nature in a wide range of environments such as soil, compost, rivers, and oceans.