Background

Urgent need to replace fossil-based products, such as plastics, with carbon neutral biobased materials has shown notable increase during the recent years. Well-known biobased solutions such as cellulose-derived materials and polylactic acid (PLA) are useful in certain applications. However, it is highly challenging to replace traditional fossil-based thermoplastics such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) due to differences between materials properties e.g. processability, moisture sensitivity (cellulose-based materials) or worse oxygen barrier capability (PLA). Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to prepare PET from biobased raw materials. Mostly, the biocarbon content is restricted to 20% that is achieved by utilizing biobased ethylene glycol as a diol unit in polymer manufacturing. 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) based polyethylene furanoate (PEF) with 100% biobased carbon content has been the most interesting alternative for PET so far due to its similar materials properties.

The goal is to develop polymer materials that utilize biobased raw materials and that can be produced by minimum chemical conversions from biomass. In this strategy, the key is to utilize furan structures which are directly received as dehydration products of the sugar fractions. Biomass derived furan monomers can be polymerized with biobased diols to afford thermoplastic materials which have 100% biocarbon content and properties that are comparable with the known fossil-based thermoplastics.

Technology Overview

Recent studies by the University of Oulu and other groups have shown that another highly interesting substitutes for PET can be prepared from biochemical furfural derived bifuran containing monomers. Furfural is produced from hemicellulose derived C5 sugars that are received from various hemicellulose rich residues and side-streams from agriculture and forest industry. These materials have shown properties that are desirable for transparent packaging materials i.e. both strong UV shielding property and high oxygen barrier capability even reaching the limit of the current state-of-the-art – ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH).

Further Details

Technical information can be found from publications:

DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.7b02457
DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.9b01447
DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.1c00629

Stage of Development

First synthesis scale-ups carried out - test batches manufactured in cooperation with industry - current TRL levels of the two related inventions: TRL3‑5

Benefits

Residues and side‑streams can be used as raw material sources
100% biocarbon content can be achieved
Synthetic biobased thermonplastic behave as known fossil‑based plastics i.e. materials can be processed and utilised in a similar manner
In general, furan based thermoplastics show excellent and improved water and oxygen barrier capabilities compared e.g. PET
Intrinsic UV barrier can be achieved

Applications

Furan-based thermoplastics can be tailored similarly as known thermoplastic materials i.e. copolymerization with different diacids/diols affords materials with desired properties. Because of the similarities with PET, the current applications of PET and its derivatives can be seen as logical choices.

Opportunity

Early stage participation to commercialize novel and sustainable plastic technology to replace fossil‑based alternative, especially for parties with:
- manufacturing and industrial scaling know‑how
- application know‑how and testing capabilities
- know‑how in basic and applied research
- capacity to invest into new products and production

Fossil-free Furan-based Thermoplastics as PET Alternative

Patents

IP Status

Seeking