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ADM Building Corn-Based Plastics Plant in Clinton

Posted on: Friday, 17 March 2006, 15:00 CST

By Marlene Lucas, The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Mar. 15--A plant that converts corn starch into plastic will be built in Clinton.

Archer Daniels Midland Co. will build the first commercial plant for the new generation of PHA natural plastics. The plant will use Metabolix PHA technology, protected by more than 130 bc issued and pending ec patents.

These plastics can range from rigid to elastic and can be made in many forms. They are resistant to hot liquids and greases yet are biodegradable.

Examples are plastic sheets used in landscaping and construction and molded food containers, forks and spoons.

"PHA natural plastics offer the global marketplace an alternative to traditional petroleum-derived plastics, and ADM is proud to use the farmers' harvest to create new products for the emerging market for ag-based chemical and industrial products," said G. Allen Andreas, chairman, chief executive and president of ADM.

The plant will have a manufacturing capacity of 50,000 tons per year and will use starch from ADM's adjacent wet corn mill. Construction will be complete in mid 2008.

ADM did not disclose the projected cost of the plant or the number of jobs that will be created.

Metabolix and ADM formed an alliance in 2004 to commercialize PHA plastics.

Metabolix, founded in 1992, is a world leader in metabolic engineering and molecular biology that produces PHA bio-based natural plastics.

ADM is a world leader in agricultural processing and fermentation technology and in the production of soy meal and oil, ethanol, corn sweeteners and flour.

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To see more of The Gazette, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.gazetteonline.com.

Copyright (c) 2006, The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

ADM,

Source: The Gazette - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

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