In Minnesota, ag giant Cargill has announced it will acquire Arkema’s biobased epoxides business located in Blooming Prairie. The facility produces epoxides by combining soybean oil and other vegetable oils with hydrogen peroxide. The specialty epoxides are key components for Cargill’s existing portfolio of biobased plasticizers and polyols, which are used to make products such as shower curtain liners, tiles, carpets and furniture.
“Industrial customers are increasingly searching for solutions made without petrochemicals, especially in consumer applications where potential concerns around toxicity and sustainability continue to grow,” said Kurtis Miller, managing director in Cargill’s bio industrial business, in a press statement. “Adding this capability will allow us to innovate across the polyol value chain, transforming our vegetable oil into highly functional compounds that bring benefits like flexibility, durability and heat stability to a wide range of industrial products.”
Cargill expects to offer the approximately 45 affected employees positions within its bio industrial business.