Bio-Based Polyethylene Terephthalate Is Environmentally Friendly And Non-Toxic Polymer Used In Several Textiles And Plastics
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Bio-Based Polyethylene Terephthalate |
Bio-based
PET is an alternative to fossil petrochemical PE, which is used in many
plastics and textiles. The production of BPE is carried out through the
combination of two monomers: purified terephthalic acid and modified ethylene
glycol. It is a tough and temperature resistant polymer.
It
is a non-toxic, environmentally friendly polymer and can be used in a similar
way to fossil-based petrochemical plastics. This makes it suitable for the
manufacture of new products and the replacement of existing petrochemical
plastics. The production of BPE is based on renewable, non-fossil resources and
it can be recycled without loss of performance. It can be produced using less
toxic reagents.
Global
bio-based polyethylene terephthalate market was valued at US$ 2456.00 Mn in 2021 in terms of revenue, exhibiting a CAGR of 17.57 % during the forecast
period (2022 to 2030).
Bioplastics
can be made from a wide range of feedstocks, including plant oils, animal fats,
waste biomass and algae. They offer a variety of benefits compared to
fossil-based plastics, including improved circularity by use of renewable raw
materials and biodegradation as an end-of-life option. The precise benefits
depend on the type of bioplastic and the feedstocks from which it is derived.
The
applications of Bio-Based
Polyethylene Terephthalate (BPET) are diverse. It is used in several
industries like automotive, 3D printing and packaging. Other applications
include trays, blister packs and carpets.
Petrochemicals
are the traditional sources for most commercial monomers and polymers for
durable and single-use applications, such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene
(PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). However, advances in catalysis have
allowed petrochemicals to be substituted with other, sustainable, feedstocks.
Bio-based
PE can be fabricated through polycondensation of difunctional oligoethylene
monomers from renewable feedstocks, such as glucose and corn starch, or from
biomass by steam cracking or methanol-to-olefin routes. These are chemically
equivalent to petrochemical PE and can be recycled through existing
infrastructure.
Another
promising development is lignin-based polymerizations. These utilize lignin
separated from biowastes in second-generation biorefineries. Its complex
phenolic structure has attracted interest as a precursor for polymer additives,
polymer grafts and monomers for specialty plastics.
Methanol
can be used as a feedstock for direct conversion to terephthalic acid via
metathesis. This produces a polymer called polyethylene furanoate (PEF). The
methanol can be produced from biofuels, such as ethanol from sugarcane or
renewable gasses such as butanol. This polymer is similar to PET, as it offers
a higher gas diffusion barrier and better tensile strength, which may make it
useful for long-shelf-life packaging.
Materia,
Inc., a technology company was acquired by ExxonMobil in December 2021. Materia,
Inc., has been developing a new class of materials using a Nobel prize-winning technology
for manufacturing. These materials are used in wide range of applications
including electric vehicle parts, anticorrosive coatings, and wind turbine blades.
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