Technology

Cara Plastics technologies generate a versatile offering of structural polymers and resins uniquely satisfying both economic and environmental constraints of the growing plastics market. These soy-based resins are derived from commodity, renewable low cost resources and can be engineered for desired properties. No other technology exists for producing such a wide spectrum of polymeric materials from naturally occurring, renewable resources.

The technology is based on the discovery that there are effective, low-cost ways to modify natural oils, to "functionalize" the basic triglyceride molecule, and tailor it to produce special properties in the finished polymer. The oils are selected and chemically functionalized to control the molecular architecture and resulting thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties. For example, some modifications promote extensive cross-linking among the molecules, resulting in significantly better mechanical properties than previously realized. Others result in biodegradable polymers. Equally important, Cara has found that soybean oils may be genetically modified to optimize the polymer's mechanical or physical properties.

Cara Plastics developed its technologies in conjunction with the University of Delaware, and Cara has an exclusive license to commercialize these technologies worldwide. Cara's intellectual property is contained within five patents, and three of these have issued. Additional patents have been filed and further development continues.