DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products LLC, a joint venture between DuPont and Tate & Lyle, plan to expand their Loudon, Tenn.-based plant to increase production of bio-based 1,3 propanediol (Bio-PDO) by 35 percent. Construction is scheduled to start this month and will be completed by the second quarter of 2011.

Formed in 2004, DuPont Tate & Lyle produces Bio-PDO from corn using a proprietary fermentation process. Bio-PDO is used as an ingredient in materials including DuPont Sorona renewably sourced polymer. The product is used in Mohawk’s SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona carpets.

“We are seeing strong demand for our renewable products,” said Steve Mirshak, president, DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products. “We had record sales last year and are already anticipating the need for additional capacity after just three years of operation. This expansion is proof that cutting-edge industrial biotechnology can deliver products that meet the needs of industry and consumers while contributing to a smaller environmental footprint.”