Patent Number: 6852315
Docket Number: 22902
Serial Number: 10262937
Date Patented: 02/08/2005

Technology Description: Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have developed an improved, environmentally-friendly process for making epoxy fatty acids and esters for use as plasticizers.  Plasticizers are additives that improve the flexibility and stability of plastics.  This process uses an enzyme from seeds to replace strong acids typically used to convert fatty acids and esters to plasticizers. Acid disposal is costly for producers, and can also cause equipment erosion over time. Approximately one million tons of plasticizers are produced each year. Only 10 percent of this market is made from renewable fats and oils, the majority are prepared from petroleum feed stocks. This technology could expand the market for plasticizers from renewable resources.  This technology is applicable to the plastics industry and to companies producing industrial materials such as surfactants, geases, coatings and lubricants.  Reference: Please refer to USPN 6,852,315 (Docket #0229.02), "Epoxidation of Carbon-Carbon Double Bond with Membrane Bound Peroxygenase," which issued on February 8, 2005, and is a divisional of USPN 6,485,949 (Docket #0079.00), which issued on November 26, 2002.  Foreign rights are not available. Inventors: George J. Piazza Fats, Oils and Animal Coproducts Wyndmoor, PA 19038 (215) 233-6511 / Fax: (215) 233-6795 gpiazza@arserrc.gov Thomas A. Foglia (Same as first inventor) (215) 233-6480 / Fax: (215) 233-6795 tfoglia@arserrc.gov Alberto Nunez (Same as first inventor) (215) 233-6639 / Fax: (215) 233-6795 anunez@arserrc.gov