Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a biodegradable polyester with a low melting point of around 60 °C and a glass transition temperature of about −60 °C. The most common use of polycaprolactone is in the manufacture of speciality polyurethanes. Polycaprolactones impart good water, oil, solvent and chlorine resistance to the polyurethane produced. Polycaprolactone (PCL) is an important polymer due to its mechanical properties, miscibility with a large range of other polymers and biodegradability. Two main pathways to produce polycaprolactone have been described in the literature: the polycondensation of a hydroxycarboxylic acid: 6-hydroxyhexanoic acid, and the ring-opening polymerisation (ROP) of a lactone: epsilon-caprolactone (epsilon-CL).

GLOBAL MANUFACTURERS

1.      Perstrop, Warrington site UK

Brand name                    Capa

Perstorp  acquired  the  caprolactone  business  at  Warrington  in  UK  from  Solvay  in  February  2008.Solvay  originally  set  up  15,000  metric  tonne  per  year  caprolactone monomer plant that was commissioned in1998.  Perstorp doubled the capacity of the caprolactone  plant in 2011  Perstorp’s range of caprolactones, marketed as Capa™ has over 50 grades       

2.      Daicel,Japan

Brand name  Polycaprolactone-F

Polycaprolacton-H  is a macro  monomers  having  a  (meth)  acrylic  double  bond,  which  can  be  radical-polymerized.  It  also  has  a  primary  hydroxyl  group  with  high  reactivity  when  curing  agents  are  introduced  into  a  polycaprolactone oligomer.  Polycaprolacton-H (Placcel® H1P molecular weight 10,000) is a highly crystalline thermoplastic aliphatic polyester resin with melting point of 60 degree

Indian scenario

Caprolactone/Polycaprolactone is not presently produced in India