An energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) balance study was performed on the production of the bioplastic polyethylene furandicarboxylate (PEF) starting from corn based fructose. The goal of the study was to analyze and to translate experimental data on the catalytic dehydration of fructose to a simulation model, using the ASPEN Plus modeling software. The mass and energy balances of the simulation model results were then used as inputs for a process chain analysis (by application of the life cycle assessment methodology, LCA) and compared to its petrochemical counterpart polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The production of PEF can be divided into three main units: the production of fructose from corn starch; the conversion of fructose into Furanics and subsequent recovery and upgrading; and the oxidation to the monomer 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and polymerization with ethylene glycol (EG) into PEF. The ASPEN Plus simulation model describes the conversion of fructose into Furanics, subsequent recovery and upgrading and a CHP unit. The production of fructose from corn starch and the oxidation and polymerization into PEF were based on the literature. In total, six model cases were analyzed, using different sets of underlying experimental data; four cases based on crystalline fructose and two cases on high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Fructose can be converted into Furanics at efficiencies between 38% and 47%. The production of PEF can reduce the NREU approximately 40% to 50% while GHG emissions can be reduced approximately 45% to 55%, compared to PET for the system cradle to grave. These reductions are higher than for other biobased plastics, such as polylactic acid (PLA) or polyethylene (PE). With an annual market size of approximately 15 million metric tonnes (Mt) of PET bottles produced worldwide, the complete bottle substitution of PEF for PET would allow us to save between 440 and 520 PJ of non-renewable energy use (NREU) and to reduce GHG emissions by 20 to 35 Mt of CO2 equivalents. If also substantial substitution takes place in the PET fibres and film industry, the savings increase accordingly. The GHG emissions could be further reduced by a switch to lignocellulosic feedstocks, such as straw, but this requires additional research

Biorefineries convert biomass into bio-based products, which have the potential to replace typical products produced by petroleum refineries. They provide a technology platform to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, increase security of supply and reduce the dependency on crude oil. The biorefinery concept presented in this paper focuses on a combination of (1) organosolv fractionation to produce carbohydrates from lignocellulosic biomass and (2) the furan technology to convert carbohydrates into polyethylene furanoate(PEF), a bio-based alternative to polyethylene terephthalate(PET), and furfuryl ethyl ether (FEE), a bio-based transportation fuel component. The goal of this paper is to determine the mass and energy balances of the production of PEF and FEE from lignocellulosic biomass and indicate the benefits, as well as potential bottlenecks in the coupling of organosolv and furan chemistry as a biorefinery concept. Three cases are defined, modeled and analyzed, each focusing on a different approach to combine the organosolv and furan conversion technologies and determine the possibility and degree of integration. Modeling results based on experimental data and expert judgments show that wheat straw, as an example of lignocellulosic biomass, can be converted into PEF and FEE at yields between 20 and 40 w/w%, based on total input, while energetic efficiencies are between 30 and 40%. This is comparable or even better compared to other upcoming bio-based processes, e.g. 15–35% yield for second generation bio-ethanol production and 25–50% energy efficiency. The conclusion is that in each of the three cases presented bio-based fuels and plastics can be produced via the furan pathway at efficiencies that constitute a viable option from a technological point of view

Furan compounds represent a class of chemicals that have the potential to become platform chemicals due to their attractive properties thanks to their structure. In a previous publication, three biorefi nery cases were presented that convert wheat straw into polyethylene furanoate (PEF) and furfuryl ethyl ether (FEE) and analyzed from a technical point of view. In this paper, the production costs were calculated using the net present value methodology, including a sensitivity analysis to determine the effects for changes in fi nancial parameters, feedstock, chemicals, and market prices. In order to compete with petrochemical polymers, the production costs of PEF has to be around 1500 $/tonne. For the base case, all three cases approach this level of 1500 $/tonne; the production costs for Case I are 1495 $/tonne PEF and Case II at 1555 $/tonne PEF. For Case III, the costs are calculated to be negative (at −131) $/tonne. This is because PEF is not the main product within Case III, as dimethyl ether (DME) and methyl levulinate (ML) account for 75% of the product basket. The results show that the production of PEF can become a competitive alternative for petrochemical PET, under the condition of large scale production, proper price levels for the by-products FEE and ML, and the availability of sustainable harvested wheat straw at an assumed cost between 50 and 150 $/tonne. Considering also the improved material performance of PEF and a potentially more favorable greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint, PEF produced from biomass may become a superior plastic to PET produced from petrochemical feedstocks.

No abstract