Roquette Freres (Lestrem, France; www.roquette.com) announces the launch of a new industrial unit for the production of isosorbide at its site in Lestrem, Pas-de-Calais, France. A global player in the processing of plant-based raw materials, Roquette confirms its ambition to become a preferred supplier in the performance plastics and specialty chemistry markets.
The new production unit has a capacity of 20,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr) isosorbide. Thanks to this new industrial installation, Roquette can now reach high production capacity for the different grades of isosorbide.
Roquette has developed a unique patented process based on sorbitol. The different steps of purification help obtain isosorbide grades with over 99.5% isosorbide content.
Polysorb isosorbide is a solution of choice for performance plastics such as thermoplastics (polyesters, polycarbonates, thermoplastic polyurethanes) and curable resins (polyurethanes, epoxy resins, unsaturated resins, coatings and so on.) Polysorb isosorbide is also used as a substitute for bisphenol A in polycarbonates, while improving the properties of this polymer, such as optical properties, resistance to ultra-violet (UV) light and better resistance to chemicals and high temperatures.