Sanyo Chemical Industries announces that its wholly owned subsidiary SDP Global Co. has developed an eco-friendly superabsorbent polymer (SAP) made using plant based biomass as part of its raw materials and has acquired the Biomass Mark certified by the Japan Organics Recycling Association.

Amidst the urgent need to address climate change, including global warming, Sanyo Chemical group is focusing on various initiatives to contribute to the realization of carbon neutrality. One such initiative is the active use of biomass materials such as plants. Plants absorb CO2 during their growth process, and thus, over their entire life cycle, their emissions and absorption are balanced, leading to a reduction in the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.

In addition, using a renewable biomass resource instead of finite petroleum resources is expected to contribute to the formation of a sustainable recycling-oriented society.

SAP is a hydrophilic polymer with a cross-linked structure, that can absorb and retain water several hundred to a thousand times its own weight. SAP is mainly composed of partially neutralized sodium polyacrylate, but its raw material is acrylic acid made from petroleum derived propylene. SDP Global has developed SAP using biomass raw materials for 10% and 25% of the raw materials, taking advantage of its accumulated knowledge and unique knowhow, and has acquired the Biomass Mark authorized by the Japan Organics Recycling

In addition to the use of biomass materials, SDP Global is developing products with low environmental impact from the perspective of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), including the development of SAP with excellent dehydration properties that contributes to a new collection and recycling system for disposable diapers.