The first generation of EcoSphere biolatex product provides viable means of replacing a significant portion of their petroleum-based binders at a lower cost without sacrificing performance.
The recent price of oil has fluctuated wildly. With rising prices, suppliers of petroleum-based binders are faced with increasing raw material cost. This provides additional impetus and urgency to search for alternative binder technologies.
Natural feedstocks can be used in our technology platform interchangeably without alteration to our equipment or processes. Our current primary starch-based feedstock is corn because of its existing infrastructure, commodity markets and strong agricultural base. Our ability to readily substitute the feedstock source from multiple suppliers based on local and global supply/demand balance allows us significant flexibility.
Renewable sources of feedstock can be obtained in abundance at a low and relatively stable cost compared to petroleum. Sensitivity analyses show that our bio-based products are less susceptible to fluctuations in the price of corn than petroleum-based products are in response to a fluctuation in the price of oil.
