PolyOne Launches reFlex™ 100 Bioplasticizer with USDA BioPreferred® Certification

PolyOne Corporation [NYSE:POL] introduced reFlex™ 100, a fast-acting bio-based plasticizer, at NPE 2012. This new technology is produced from rapidly renewable plant-based feedstocks, and was developed in collaboration with Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM). In addition, it is one of the first bioplasticizers to be awarded recognition by the USDA BioPreferred^® program, which has granted reFlex™ 100 a 94% biobased label.

With its fast-acting (high solvating) performance, reFlex 100 can be an alternative to conventional plasticizers such as BBP, DBP, and benzoates, many of which have come under regulatory pressure. Further, with reFlex 100, customers can improve productivity, reduce the amount of plasticizer and stabilizer required, and eliminate defects for greater operational efficiency and profitability.

As manufacturers strive to find alternatives to traditional plasticizers, they have often been forced to sacrifice productivity. Unlike other alternatives, reFlex 100 can be blended into both traditional phthalate and new non-phthalate systems, providing a formulating tool that helps reduce costs by improving productivity, eliminating defects, and reducing consumption. In addition, customers can leverage the bio-based nature of this product to expand their offerings with differentiated solutions.

“The plasticizer market has become very dynamic in recent years,” said Rob Rosenau, president, PolyOne Performance Products and Solutions. “There is clear market interest in renewable technology as an alternative to traditional petroleum-based plasticizers. Our reFlex 100 is poised to meet these needs, and is the first in a portfolio of biobased plasticizers developed together with ADM that PolyOne plans to introduce.”

To improve productivity, reFlex 100 offers faster setup times and reduced viscosity versus other traditional plasticizers. It helps to eliminate defects through improved air release and thermal stability. Because it is more efficient, reFlex 100 also reduces the amount of plasticizer needed during processing. It acts inherently as a thermal stabilizer as well, which may enable processors to eliminate the need for stabilizers in their formulas.

In 2008, PolyOne and ADM announced an alliance to develop biobased plasticizer technologies. reFlex™100 is the first technology launched from this collaboration.

About PolyOne

PolyOne Corporation, with 2011 revenues of $2.9 billion, is a premier provider of specialized polymer materials, services and solutions. Headquartered outside Cleveland, Ohio USA, PolyOne has operations around the world. Consistent with the company’s strategy of specialty growth and global expansion, in December of 2011 PolyOne acquired ColorMatrix Group, Inc., a highly specialized company with a premier suite of additive technologies and a leading market position in liquid colorants. For additional information on PolyOne, visit our Web site at www.polyone.com.