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Aiding Agricultural Growth through Smarter and Sustainable Chemicals

Kraton Corporation, a leading global sustainable producer of specialty polymers and high-value biobased products derived from pine wood pulping co-products, has officially announced a new line of biobased hydrocarbon oils called SYLVASOLV. According to certain reports, SYLVASOLV comes decked up with an ability to conceive superior performance and environmental advantages across many industries, including agrochemicals, adhesives, and lubricants etc. Talk about how it will achieve that on a more granular level, the answer begins from the first product in this line up, SYLVASOLV 1000, which is designed to meet unique functional needs of the agriculture industry by finding use in fertilizer coatings and crop protection. Furthermore, the stated product can be applied in various fertilizer coating applications to effectively control dust and provide anti-caking properties during handling, transportation, storage, and use. In case that doesn’t sound like much, then we must mention how SYLVASOLV 1000 is also suitable for oil-based adjuvants in various pesticide formulations. Such a feature directly translates to a knowhow, on the solution’s part, of providing good wetting and penetration properties that enhance pesticide efficacy.

Built on the framework of Crude Tall Oil (CTO), a by-product of the Kraft pulp industry, the wider SYLVASOLV line up is also sourced from responsibly managed forests and non-genetically modified trees, trees that do not compete with food crops or require land use change. Another detail we cannot go without mentioning is how the line-up also has on the offer excellent solvency power, something which can cover a long distance to enhance formulation optionality, thus enabling lower viscosity and safer handling due to the low-temperature properties present in the mix.

“We are excited to introduce SYLVASOLV biobased oils to the market,” said Lana Culbert, Senior Director of Global Marketing at Kraton Corporation. “The launch of SYLVASOLV 1000 further demonstrates Kraton’s commitment to providing sustainable, high-performance alternatives to petroleum-based products. This 100% biobased oil can improve fertilizer coating formulations and enable a reduced carbon footprint.”

Operating out of Houston, Texas, Kraton Corporation has risen up the ranks by providing specialty polymers and high-value performance products derived from renewable resources. These polymers, once developed, have been used for a wide range of applications, including adhesives, coatings, consumer, personal care products, sealants, medical, packaging, automotive, paving and roofing products. Other than supplying ethically-sourced polymers, the company also happens to be the largest global provider of the pine chemicals. Complimenting the same is Kraton’s broad range of performance chemicals that are made for use cases involving fuel additives, oilfield chemicals, coatings, metalworking fluids and lubricants, inks, and mining. The company excellence in delivering all these solutions can be well understood once you consider that it has over 800 clients that span across more than 70 countries. To sustain a massive footprint of this sort, Kraton also has a workforce of 1,800+ employees.