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摘要

The following dozen pages detail some of the most significant recent developments in the use of materials based on non-petrochemical raw materials,providing an idea of what is to come.Major companies in the US,notably Cargill,Inc.and Dow Chemical Co.,recently announced their interest in thepos-sibilities(p 25 and pp 34-5,respectively);Cognis,the former Henkel KgaA business,continues to develop its range of materials for the coatings sector(pp 29-33),while one of the pioneering US ventures making polyols from soya-bean oils is now in new hands(p 26).But small companies are still the main driving forces in the business,as also shown here.