SORONA is a polymer

Polymer

A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...

 created by DuPont

DuPont

E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...

 based on 1,3-propanediol

1,3-Propanediol

1,3-Propanediol is the organic compound with the formula CH22. This three-carbon diol is a colorless viscous liquid that is miscible with water.-Products:...

 (PDO). It was named and commercialized in 2000. The fibers are claimed to be both soft and extremely stain resistant plus high strength and stiffness

SORONA (also called PTT or 3GT) is poly(trimethylene terephthalate), a co-polymer of Bio-PDO (fermentation-derived 1,3-propanediol), and petroleum derived terephthalic acid

Terephthalic acid

Terephthalic acid is the organic compound with formula C6H42. This colourless solid is a commodity chemical, used principally as a precursor to the polyester PET, used to make clothing and plastic bottles. Several billion kilograms are produced annually...

 (TPA) or dimethyl terephthalate

Dimethyl terephthalate

Dimethyl terephthalate is an organic compound with the formula C6H42. It is the diester formed from terephthalic acid and methanol. It is a white solid that melts to give a distillable colourless liquid.-Production:...

 (DMT). Related polymers in this series include polyethylene terephthalate

Polyethylene terephthalate

Polyethylene terephthalate , commonly abbreviated PET, PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P, is a thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in synthetic fibers; beverage, food and other liquid containers; thermoforming applications; and engineering resins often in combination...

 (2GT) and polybutylene terephthalate

Polybutylene terephthalate

Polybutylene terephthalate is a thermoplastic engineering polymer, that is used as an insulator in the electrical and electronics industries. It is a thermoplastic crystalline polymer, and a type of polyester...

 (polytetramethylene terephthalate) (4GT).

The polymer SORONA has been mentioned by J. Craig Venter in interviews as an example of an application of industrial biotechnology

Industrial biotechnology

Industrial biotechnology is the application of biotechnology for industrial purposes, including manufacturing, alternative energy , and biomaterials. It includes the practice of using cells or components of cells like enzymes to generate industrially useful products...

. He was quoted as saying, "DuPont argues that SORONA is going to be the first billion-dollar biotech product other than a pharmaceutical." The renewable resource content of SORONA is 37% by weight. DuPont won a 2003 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award for their development of the fermentation process for production of 1,3-propanediol from corn-derived glucose in recombinant Escherichia coli K-12.

DuPont's CEO (Charles O. Holliday

Charles O. Holliday

Charles "Chad" O. Holliday, Jr. is an American busniessman, currently the chairman of Bank of America and former Chairman, former Chief Executive Officer and a former director of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company . He is the Chairman of both the U.S. Council on Competitiveness and the Business...

) has worn a pinstripe suit made of Sorona fibers

SORONA is a registered trademark of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company

Uses and Applications

The SORONA polymer has been used in the manufacture of clothing

Clothing

Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...

, residential carpets, and automotive fabrics and plastic parts.
Mohawk Industries is the only carpet manufacturer currently making carpets using Dupont Sorona fiber.
Additional details can be found at www.renewable.dupont.com and www.mohawkgreenworks.com/products/fiber/smartstrand.html