Bio-polyethylene terephthalate

Another example is the switch by The Coca-Cola Company to bio-PET with is characterized by a 20% bio-based carbon content (http //www.coca-colacompany.com/ our-company/introducing-plantbottle, accessed 10 July 2013). Polyethylene terephthalate bottles are extensively used for packaging beverages, water, and a number of other food and nonfood items (Figure 14.4). Polyethylene terephthalate is manufactured by condensation... 

Ethanol is one of the oldest biotechnological products used by humans, even ancient Egyptians were drinking a sort of beer obtained by aleoholic fermentation. More reeently ethanol was involved in first- and then second-generation biofuels. The overall sustainability and economie viability of these approaches remain doubtful. However, the production of bio-ethanol in important amounts led to its eonsideration for bio-based plastics production. Thus, the dehydration of ethanol was extensively studied and improved to produce ethylene, while the further polymerization to polyethylene (PE) and utilization are well known in the plastic industty. Furthermore, bio-ethanol was also used for the production of partially bio-based polyethylene terephthalate (PET). ... 

The promise of large-scale low-cost fermentations from renewable resources, especially corn, has spurred interest in the United States to develop chemical production for large-volume chemicals using bio-based processes. Succinic acid can be converted by hydrogenation to 1,4-butanediol, which has a world market in excess of 500,000 metric tons. Butanediol is used to produce polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) resins that have desirable mechanical and thermal properties and are a high-performance version of polyethylene terephthalate resins (PET). Also, 1,4-butanediol is a precursor of tetrahydrofuran, which can be polymerized to polytetrahydrofuran (PTHF). Gamma butyrolactone (GBL) can also be derived from 1,4-butanediol, and much of GBL is used to manufacture the solvent N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (Szmant 1989). 

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