Bio-Based Polyethylene Terephthalate Is Environmentally Friendly And Non-Toxic Polymer Used In Several Textiles And Plastics

 

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.