Patent 7166743 was granted and assigned to Metabolix on January, 2007 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Methods of forming acrylic acid by heating a PHA are disclosed. The PHA can be derived from a biomass of a non-fossil source. The PHA can be, for example, poly 3-hydroxypropionate or a 3-hydroxypropionate containing polymer. The methods can include, for example, heating the PHA to a temperature of at least about 100° C. to form acrylic acid.