Delaware-based Covation Biomaterials on Wednesday announced that it plans to sell its interest in its Primient Covation business—which produces 100 percent bio-based 1,3 propanediol (BioPDO)—a building block of renewably sourced polyester—as it enters a new era in its business journey.
After the sale, Primient will supply CovationBio with BioPDO under a long-term supply agreement for the creation of Sorona polymer, a partially bio-based fiber used across the apparel and home goods spaces.
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The group’s CEO, Steven Ackerman, said Sorona polymer first introduced BioPDO into its business 25 years ago. “As part of our long-term strategy to reaffirm our commitment to new technologies, we’ve identified BioPDO as one part of a larger ecosystem of sustainable materials. This exit allows us to make a deeper investment into the next generation of sustainable material innovations,” he explained.
Amid the change, CovationBio is gearing up to bring its latest product, bioPTMEG, a second-generation polyether glycol derived from corn cobs, to the commercial market later this year.
According to the company, the material can serve as a more sustainable drop-in alternative to petroleum-based polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMEG). The applications are products that typically use spandex, polyurethanes and thermoplastic elastomers, including athletic and performance clothing as well as elements of footwear, industrial elastics and car parts and accessories.
Ackerman said the solution fits in seamlessly to existing production processes. “As we look ahead, we’re excited about the opportunity to commercialize solutions that reduce friction for our downstream value chain partners as they look to integrate sustainable materials into their production,” he added.
CovationBio is best known for the production of 37 percent plant-based Sorona, which launched in 2000 and has since become a widely used ingredient in apparel and home furnishings. The material provides softness, stretch and durability while remaining warm and breathable when applied to products like activewear and outerwear.
The product’s popularity with product developers and brands stems from its environmental advantages compared to fossil-fuel-based conventional synthetics, the company said. For one, producing Sorona requires 44 percent less energy than producing nylon 6 from non-renewable sources, and the process emits 170 percent less greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Its production also releases 41 percent less GHG emissions than the production of traditional PET.
CovationBio’s 2025 Life Cycle Assessment, released in September, revealed these results. The company’s forward-looking priorities include investments in clean energy, like hydropower, and material sourcing, like the local corn being used for its forthcoming offering, bioPTMEG.
“Fashion and textiles are at a critical turning point. The Sorona journey proves that sustainable materials can scale, perform, and deliver transparency,” Ackerman, who was appointed chief executive last August, said upon the LCA’s release. “The next chapter will be about pushing boundaries even further with renewable chemistry and responsible innovation.”
