BASF Signs a Patent License Agreement with Metabolix, Inc.
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WYANDOTTE, MI, February 4, 2011 - BASF Corporation today announced that it has received a license from Metabolix under U.S. Patent No. 5,883,199, titled "Polylactic Acid-Based Blends," to produce and market PLA and PBAT compounds under the BASF trade name Ecovio®. Ecovio biodegradable polymer is a blend of Ecoflex® biodegradable aliphatic-aromatic copolyester and polylactic acid on the basis of corn. The University of Massachusetts is the owner of the '199 patent, and Metabolix, Inc. is its exclusive licensee in the relevant field. U.S. Patent 5,883,199 is directed at PLA:polyester blends in the ratio 9:1 to 1:9 wherein the polyester forms a continuous or co-continuous phase in the blend. Metabolix, Inc. is a leader in the use of bioscience to provide biobased, sustainable, solutions for the world's needs for plastics, fuels and chemicals.
Ecovio can be used to extrude biodegradable films without any further admixtures or preparation and is used to create tailor-made blends to meet customer needs.
BASF SE owns intellectual property for Ecoflex biodegradable aliphatic-aromatic copolyester in all regions of the world. Further details of the patent agreement are undisclosed.
For more information contact:
Kathy Dennis
BASF Corporation
Tel: (973) 245-6288
E-mail: kathy.dennis@basf.com
About Metabolix
Founded in 1992, Metabolix, Inc. is an innovation driven bioscience company developing clean, sustainable solutions for the world's needs for plastics, fuels, and chemicals. Metabolix pioneered the systems approach, from gene to end product, integrating sophisticated biotechnology with advanced industrial engineering practice and marketing. The Company is now commercializing its first platform, environmentally sustainable and totally biodegradable Mirel(TM) natural plastics as a clean alternative to petroleum-based plastics. Metabolix is also developing proprietary biomass technology platforms including switchgrass and sugarcane to produce natural plastics, biofuels and chemicals. For more information, please visit www.metabolix.com. (MBLX-G)
BASF - The Chemical Company.
BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has approximately 16,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $13 billion in 2009. For more information about BASF's North American operations, or to sign up to receive news releases by e-mail, visit www.basf.us.
BASF is the world's leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics and performance products to agricultural products, fine chemicals and oil and gas. As a reliable partner, BASF creates chemistry to help its customers in virtually all industries to be more successful. With its high-value products and intelligent solutions, BASF plays an important role in finding answers to global challenges, such as climate protection, energy efficiency, nutrition and mobility. BASF posted sales of more than Euros50 billion in 2009 and had approximately 105,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.
