{"id":13407,"date":"2022-07-27T06:05:03","date_gmt":"2022-07-27T12:05:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ulprospector.com\/knowledge\/?p=13407"},"modified":"2022-10-31T13:26:46","modified_gmt":"2022-10-31T19:26:46","slug":"pe-sustainable-polymers-from-renewable-resources","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/13407\/pe-sustainable-polymers-from-renewable-resources\/","title":{"rendered":"Sustainable Polymers from Renewable Resources"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"HandsPolymers of all types, whether from renewable resources or not, whether recyclable or not, have a role to play in the circular economy and the quest toward net zero. Moveable items made from lightweight plastics save energy during every motion. Recycling is obviously desirable, but even though some advanced composites are difficult to recycle (though not impossible), they can still make a massive contribution to fuel saving. The idea of motorists pumping their tanks full of fuel made from forestry and agricultural scrap is fanciful – better to make sustainable polymers from renewable resources. It is far better to make plastics from oil than to burn oil as a fuel.<\/p>\n

Sadly, microplastics and the infusion of our oceans with microscopic polymer particles is a scourge that is giving a bad name to one of the most valuable materials in the race to save our planet. And it needs to be addressed without delay.<\/p>\n

Currently, most industrial polymers and plastics are produced from non-renewable, oil or gas-based resources. However, due to recent concerns about fossil resource depletion, efforts have been made to replace conventional oil- and gas-based plastics with others based on hydrocarbons derived from renewable resources, such as biomass.<\/p>\n

Renewable feedstocks<\/h2>\n

Polymer<\/a> production is a major source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To reduce this, the polymer industry needs to shift towards renewable carbon feedstocks such as biomass and CO2<\/sub>. Both feedstocks have been shown to reduce GHG emissions in polymer production, however, often at the expense of increased utilization of the limited resources of biomass and renewable electricity.<\/p>\n

Generating polymeric materials from renewable resources is nothing new. Naturally occurring polymers were amongst the first materials used by man. In the 19th<\/sup> century, natural materials, such as casein, natural rubber and cellulose, were modified to obtain useful polymeric materials. Over the past few decades, the production and application of synthetic polymers have seen an almost exponential increase. However, concerns regarding depletion of fossil resources, disposal and related issues, as well as government policies, have led to a continuously growing interest in the development of sustainable, safe and environmentally friendly plastics from renewable resources.<\/p>\n

The importance of bio-based polymers lies in the great variety of renewable feedstock and the environmentally friendly perspectives of materials. Current achievements in polymer chemistry and the involvement of biotechnology have impressively accelerated the progress of multifunctional bio-based polymers. This is often through chemical modification of natural polymers, such as starch, cellulose or chitin. Bio-based polymers can also be synthesized through a two-step process from biomass (lignin, cellulose, starch, plant oils).<\/p>\n

In addition, traditional monomers such as ethylene, 1,2-ethanediol, terephthalic acid, or novel monomers like lactide, 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, 1,4-cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid, furfuryl alcohol, or isosorbide can be obtained through chemical or biochemical conversion. They can then be polymerized to produce bio-based versions of more familiar plastics. Even thermosetting polymers can be synthesized from renewable monomers.<\/p>\n

Finally, natural bio-based polymers are synthesized by living organisms, essentially in the form in which they are finally used. Examples of naturally produced bio-based polymers include:<\/p>\n