CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 8, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Metabolix, Inc. (Nasdaq:MBLX), an advanced biomaterials company focused on sustainable solutions for the plastics industry, today announced it will be exhibiting at Profiles 2015, an international business and technology conference on polymer materials in exterior building applications. The event takes place on June 9-10 at the Hilton Philadelphia City Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Profiles conference brings together leaders from the exterior building construction industry to discuss the latest advances in materials and environmental credentials for windows, doors, decking, fences and siding. Developing and commercializing technology that improves polyvinyl chloride (PVC)—one of the most widely used materials for building products—is a target application space for Metabolix and its PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate polymers) biopolymer materials.
PVC is a brittle polymer and requires additives to achieve the performance needed for commercial applications, including building materials. Metabolix has published and presented technical data showing that its PHA biopolymers are miscible with PVC and can improve PVC processing as well as a range of performance attributes such as flex modulus, fungal resistance, and plasticization.
"Our research shows that when used as a PVC modifier, Metabolix's PHA biopolymers can offer significant value to PVC formulations," said Max Senechal, vice president of strategy and commercial development at Metabolix. "The Profiles 2015 conference promises to jumpstart new and meaningful conversations with the building materials and construction industry. We look forward to updating this key audience on the new developments at Metabolix involving the use of our PHA biopolymer materials in PVC."
Metabolix's PHA biopolymer materials are being tested as process aids and performance modifiers in the following application areas:
- Extruded railing and vinyl siding: For PVC railing and siding applications, PHA acts as a process aid to increase throughput and improve surface finish during manufacturing. Research has also shown that the use of PHA can allow increased use of fillers, thereby adding strength to the parts, as well as the level of recycled PVC material, increasing the sustainable profile of the final product.
- Roofing: Acting as a high molecular weight plastifier, Metabolix's PHA enhances PVC permanence especially in installations where oil and grease resistance is needed.
- Flooring: In PVC recyclate-based backing, PHA can act as a fusion aid to enhance processing and to improve the performance properties of the backing.
About Metabolix
Metabolix is an innovation-driven specialty materials company focused on delivering high-performance biopolymer solutions to customers in the plastics industry. Metabolix's Mirel® biopolymers, which are derived from renewable resources, are a family of biobased performance additives and resins based on PHA (polyhodroxyalkanoates). Metabolix's proprietary biotechnology platform enables the creation of resins and compounds for use in a broad range of applications such as construction and packaging materials as well as industrial, consumer and personal care products.
For more information, please visit www.metabolix.com. (MBLX-G)
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