NatureWorks LLC — the Minnetonka, Minn.-based manufacturer of Ingeo™ polylactide biopolymer — has
named U.S. Pacific Nonwovens Industry Ltd. — a Hong Kong-based manufacturer of nonwoven protective
apparel and other end-products — exclusive agent for Ingeo spunmelt applications in the Asia
Pacific region.
“We see huge potential for readily substituting Ingeo for PET on many spunbond lines in China
and other countries in Asia,” said Dr. Larry Wadsworth, chief technology officer, U.S. Pacific
Nonwovens.
U.S. Pacific Nonwovens also is exclusive agent in the Asia Pacific region for Greenville,
Wis.-based meltblown machinery manufacturer Biax-FiberFilm Corp.’s stand-alone Biax meltblown
lines, which, according to Biax-FiberFilm President Doug Brown, have been used successfully to
process Ingeo (See ”
NatureWorks
Unveils Two Ingeo™ Bioresins For Meltblown Nonwovens,” September 22, 2009).
At “Innovation Takes Root 2010,” an international biopolymers conference recently organized
by NatureWorks in Dallas, Wadsworth reported on U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded research
involving biodegradable mulches, including Ingeo-based nonwovens, for crops cultivated under
protective covers. He also reported that in research conducted by Biax FiberFilm and U.S. Pacific
Nonwoven, meltblown wet wipes fabric made from a blend of Ingeo and polyhydroxyalkanoates — sugar-
or lipid-based polyesters produced by bacteria to store carbon and energy — exhibit improved shelf
life in the package as well as improved biodegradation in compost, mud and river water.
June 16, 2010