Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC) announced yesterday that its biobased engineering polymer DURABIO has been awarded a biobased product certification under the BioPreferred Program of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The USDA’s BioPreferred Program aims to support the development and expansion of the biobased product market through a certification and labeling system.

Certification entails the USDA’s accreditation body conducting tests to assess a product’s biobased content according to the ASTMD6866 international standard; products that exceed the prescribed biobased content are permitted to display the label indicating certification. The three main grades of DURABIO have now been certified as biobased products.

DURABIO’s addition to the USDA’s list of biobased products will provide recognition both in North America and internationally of the sustainability benefits this product can provide.

DURABIO, developed by MCC, is a biobased engineering polymer made from renewable plant-derived isosorbide. Its properties including resistance to impact, heat, and weather are excellent compared with standard, conventional engineering polymers. In particular, its outstanding optical and chromogenic properties allow an attractive, shiny surface to be created simply by adding pigment.

An additional distinguishing feature is the scratch resistance afforded by its surface hardness and durability. Furthermore, analysis of life cycle assessments indicates that the use of DURABIO can reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared with using conventional petroleum-based engineering polymers.

Having earned recognition as an environmentally friendly material that also delivers outstanding performance, DURABIO is used primarily for interior and exterior decor in automobiles, and for optical films.

In recent years, its use has increased in a wide range of other fields including smartphones, lighting equipment, and medical devices.

MCC will continue contributing to the creation of a circular economy and achievement of the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs) by accelerating its R&D and development of new applications for DURABIO and other plant-derived products.