HOUSTON, Jan. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc. (NYSE: "KRA") a leading global producer of styrenic block copolymers and other engineered polymers announces plans to showcase Cariflex polyisoprene products, the ideal alternative to natural rubber, and Kraton ERS polymers, the ideal alternative to PVC products, at MD&M West 2013 in Booth #618. The MD&M West trade show will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center, in Anaheim, Calif., February 12-14, 2013.

Kraton product experts will be available to discuss how Cariflex polyisoprene products are the ideal alternative to natural rubber for applications that demand extreme purity, exceptional protection, comfort, and consistently high quality. Cariflex products effectively serve medical market applications including surgical gloves, catheters, tube connectors, needle shields, medical stoppers, probe covers, and cohesive bandages. They offer a pure and versatile option for manufacturing applications that require the high tensile strength and tear resistance of natural rubber without the impurities that cause discoloration, odor, and allergic reactions.

"Cariflex isoprene rubber (IR) latex is the ultimate natural rubber alternative for medical products that helps protect physicians, nurses, and patients from natural rubber proteins (present in natural rubber) and reduces the risk of Type I allergic reactions," said Richard Brennan, VP, Cariflex polyisoprene products. "Cariflex derives its inherent purity from our simple and highly-efficient polymerization process. We are the only company in the world using an anionic solution polymerization process to produce this type of synthetic rubber," he concluded.

Kraton will also showcase its ERS product line, which offers proven alternatives to PVC in medical applications. Kraton enabled solutions offer a phthalate-free, and plasticizer-free formulation that allows for an environmentally-responsible solution without compromising the quality or integrity of finished products. Kraton ERS products bring high levels of purity, enhanced durability, and exhibit low extractable performance in compliance with medical industry standards. They also enable high resiliency, low compressions set performance, good puncture resistance, and the ability to perform through the industry standard sterilization processes necessary for approval and use.

For additional information about Kraton™ ERS polymers or Cariflex™ polyisoprene products, please stop by Booth#618 at MD&M West, visit the Kraton website, or call 1-800-4-KRATON (572866). Private meetings or media interviews may be scheduled by contacting Marcie Coronado, Marketing Communications Manager, at 281-504-4975, or via email at marcie.coronado@kraton.com.

About Kraton Polymers
Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc., through its operating subsidiary Kraton Polymers LLC and its subsidiaries, is a leading global producer of engineered polymers and styrenic block copolymers ("SBCs"), a family of products whose chemistry was pioneered by us almost fifty years ago. SBCs are highly-engineered thermoplastic elastomers, which enhance the performance of numerous products by delivering a variety of attributes, including greater flexibility, resilience, strength, durability and processability. Our polymers are used in a wide range of applications, including adhesives, coatings, consumer and personal care products, sealants and lubricants, and medical, packaging, automotive, paving, roofing and footwear products. We currently offer approximately 800 products to more than 700 customers in over 60 countries worldwide, and are the only SBC producer with manufacturing and service capabilities on four continents. We manufacture products at five plants globally, including our flagship plant in Belpre, Ohio, as well as plants in Germany, France and Brazil, and a joint venture plant operated in Japan.

Forward Looking Statements
This press release may contain "forward-looking statements," which are statements other than statements of historical fact and are often characterized by the use of words such as "believes," "expects," "estimates," "projects," "may," "will," "intends," "plans" or "anticipates," or by discussions of strategy, anticipated performance, plans or intentions. All forward-looking statements in this press release are made based on management's current expectations and estimates, which involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are more fully described in "Part I. Item 1A. Risk Factors" contained in our Annual Report on 10-K, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and as subsequently updated in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. We hereby make reference to all such filings for all purposes. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We assume no obligation to update such information.

Kraton, the Kraton logo and design, Cariflex, Nexar and the "Giving Innovators their Edge" tagline are all trademarks of Kraton Polymers LLC.

© Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc. 2013.  All rights reserved.

For Further Information:
Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc.
Media: Marcie Coronado +1-281-504-4975
Investors: H. Gene Shiels +1-281-504-4886

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SOURCE Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc.