Metabolix is an innovation-driven bioscience company delivering sustainable solutions to the plastics, chemicals, and energy industries. The company is developing and commercializing a family of high-performance biopolymers targeted to the markets for film and bag applications, performance additives, and functional biodegradation.

The company today announced that 16001, a bio-based polymeric modifier for PVC (polyvinyl chloride) formulations based on Metabolix PHA resin, is now available for shipment to customers. Metabolix designed 16001 as a performance additive to improve the mechanical and environmental performance characteristics of PVC.

Metabolix’s researchers have developed a series of PHA-based polymeric modifiers that showed significant improvements in the modification and processing of PVC. Its modifier significantly improves impact resistance and toughness in rigid and flexible PVC applications without compromising PVC transparency or UV stability. The PVC market is a rather large one, with an estimated market demand of 35 million metric tons per year.

The company is developing an entire series of second generating products in the modifier space that the company plans to launch in 2013. For additional information about Metabolix and its entire product line, please visit www.metabolix.com.

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