Avantium is launching its fully biobased replacement for PET, a polymer commonly used in packaging. This represents a milestone for sustainability in the plastics industry; this is the first fully renewable route to producing this widely used plastic.
Semi-biobased PET polymers were recently adopted by Heinz and Coca Cola for use in their respective Ketchup and Coca-Cola bottles. PET is manufactured from two chemicals, one of which (ethylene glycol) makes up 30% of the total mass of the polymer and has been successfully produced from biobased feedstock. The other component which comprises the remaining 70% of the polymer, terephthalic acid (TPA), has proven more difficult to replace and a number of companies are working to find drop-in routes for producing TPA from biobased feedstock. The difficulty stems from the complex synthesis currently needed to produce TPA from biobased feedstock; this complexity adds to the cost and makes it commercially non-viable.
Avantium have taken a different tack, trying to find a replacement for TPA which can be produced from biobased feedstock more easily. They have found a viable alternative in Furan Dicarboxylic Acid (FDCA) to replace TPA and producing a polymer known as PEF. Avantium claim that FDCA is cheaper than TPA and that PEF has similar (or better) properties to PET and are ultimately produced from biobased sugars. These sugars are then used to produce furanics (the bread and butter of Avantium’s R&D) which are then converted to FDCA. The finished PEF bottles look identical to bottles produced with PET.
Avantium has been working on scaling up the process, though a pilot plant has not yet been announced and there is no more information available on how the commercialization of the product is progressing. At the Bioplastek 2011 forum the Netherlands-based company will introduce the product. There, the company is expected to detail PEF in comparison to PET with technical details on comparative performance. High on the agenda is likely to be how recyclable PEF is; will it fit into existing infrastructure for recycling PET?
However, once Avantium hit the commercialization point with the product, thinking outside the box with PEF as they have done might lead to difficulties for the plastics manufacturer. PEF is a new plastic without a market or reputation, despite being plugged as a “drop-in” substitute for PET in the industry if 100% biobased TPA can be produced economically it might stifle PEF before it gets off the ground. Indeed, Genomatica talked at length about this in their presentation regarding bio-based chemicals market research; novel products are struggling while their markets are growing and drop-in products are growing more easily. Avantium will have to market the product carefully to ensure it succeeds in the marketplace.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Nanoparticles could give biofuel a boost, but at a cost
Indian researchers found that addition of a nanoparticle catalyst to biofuel could improve the performance of the fuel, making it burn cleaner.
The study, published in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy shows aluminum oxide nanoparticles could act as a catalyst; making the fuel burn more efficiently and more cleanly. The high ratio of surface to volume of these tiny particles (average diameter of 51 nanometers) creates a large reactive surface for the reaction to take place on and also improvies the air-fuel mixture leading to more complete combustion. When combustion is incomplete, carbon monoxide and a range of other harmful gases are produced in greater quantities. Aluminum oxide is often used as a catalyst in the chemical industry, its use in nanoparticle form is relatively new and unusual.
Study author R. B. Anand, at National Institute of Technology in Tiruchirappalli tested the nanoparticles on jatropha-derived biofuel, blending the nanoparticles into the fuel using a detergent. In trials, the nanoparticle-biofuel burned more fully, massively reducing the emitted amounts of gases such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide (a potent greenhouse gas) and also less smoke. He is currently testing different blends of particles in an attempt to find an ideal proportion, one that balances the performance boost with cost. He is also investigating the effect that nanoparticles have on the rest of the engine and also the potential of other nanostructures as fuel enhancers.
The researchers are now testing other types of nanoparticles, including hollow carbon nanotubes, and investigating the effects of nano-additives to engine lubrication and cooling systems. One obstacle to the application of this kind of nanotechnology is the high cost of nanoparticle production, says Anand -- who also cautions that nanoparticles "should be used judiciously," because they tend to "entrain into human bodies."
The study, published in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy shows aluminum oxide nanoparticles could act as a catalyst; making the fuel burn more efficiently and more cleanly. The high ratio of surface to volume of these tiny particles (average diameter of 51 nanometers) creates a large reactive surface for the reaction to take place on and also improvies the air-fuel mixture leading to more complete combustion. When combustion is incomplete, carbon monoxide and a range of other harmful gases are produced in greater quantities. Aluminum oxide is often used as a catalyst in the chemical industry, its use in nanoparticle form is relatively new and unusual.
Study author R. B. Anand, at National Institute of Technology in Tiruchirappalli tested the nanoparticles on jatropha-derived biofuel, blending the nanoparticles into the fuel using a detergent. In trials, the nanoparticle-biofuel burned more fully, massively reducing the emitted amounts of gases such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide (a potent greenhouse gas) and also less smoke. He is currently testing different blends of particles in an attempt to find an ideal proportion, one that balances the performance boost with cost. He is also investigating the effect that nanoparticles have on the rest of the engine and also the potential of other nanostructures as fuel enhancers.
The researchers are now testing other types of nanoparticles, including hollow carbon nanotubes, and investigating the effects of nano-additives to engine lubrication and cooling systems. One obstacle to the application of this kind of nanotechnology is the high cost of nanoparticle production, says Anand -- who also cautions that nanoparticles "should be used judiciously," because they tend to "entrain into human bodies."
Planting Short Rotation Energy Crops Could Produce Enough Biomass for UK renewables targets.
Short rotation energy crops planted on unused agricultural land could provide a viable route to meeting renewable energy targets without disrupting food production or the environment.
UKERC researcher and Professor of Plant Biology from the University of Southampton, Gail Taylor;
UK has targets for a 15% renewable energy by 2020 and bioenergy is expected to play a major role. At present bioenergy represents is less than 0.1% of energy in the UK and attempts to increase it have resulted in competition with food production. For bioenergy to grow, it is necessary to assess the UK’s capacity as a whole for producing biofeedstock.
The UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) has been studying the potential of short rotation crops,such as coppiced poplar and willow for bioenergy with the University of Southampton. These coppiced crops grow over the year, are cut back and allowed to regrow with the biomass harvested being used for energy or potentially for biobased chemical production. Researchers took social, environmental and economic limitations into account; land use restrictions are in place in the UK to preserve the countryside and residents often object to protected land being developed.
The study found that with efficient land use, 4% of the UK’s total electricity demand can be met with biomass grown on marginal land, bioenergy plants and lignocellulosic biotechnology. Of the land in the UK, 61% could potentially be planted with these energy crops. A number of conditions were placed on biomass production for the study; the planted crops must not have an impact on “ecosystem services”, must not conflict with food production, must not displace land that is currently saving GHG emissions and must be profitable. Realistically, the study found that 7.5 million tons of biomass could be produced this way.
UKERC researcher and Professor of Plant Biology from the University of Southampton, Gail Taylor;
"This study shows that bioenergy crops can be grown sustainably in parts of England, with no detrimental impact on food crops or other ecosystem services. Our current work is taking this approach further to determine how future climate scenarios will influence biomass supply."
UK has targets for a 15% renewable energy by 2020 and bioenergy is expected to play a major role. At present bioenergy represents is less than 0.1% of energy in the UK and attempts to increase it have resulted in competition with food production. For bioenergy to grow, it is necessary to assess the UK’s capacity as a whole for producing biofeedstock.
The UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) has been studying the potential of short rotation crops,such as coppiced poplar and willow for bioenergy with the University of Southampton. These coppiced crops grow over the year, are cut back and allowed to regrow with the biomass harvested being used for energy or potentially for biobased chemical production. Researchers took social, environmental and economic limitations into account; land use restrictions are in place in the UK to preserve the countryside and residents often object to protected land being developed.
The study found that with efficient land use, 4% of the UK’s total electricity demand can be met with biomass grown on marginal land, bioenergy plants and lignocellulosic biotechnology. Of the land in the UK, 61% could potentially be planted with these energy crops. A number of conditions were placed on biomass production for the study; the planted crops must not have an impact on “ecosystem services”, must not conflict with food production, must not displace land that is currently saving GHG emissions and must be profitable. Realistically, the study found that 7.5 million tons of biomass could be produced this way.
Vibatan durability-enhancing masterbatches make PLA a stronger option
Italy-based Vibatan have released a range of Masterbatches; additives for enhancing the physical properties of the bioplastic PLA, making PLA a better choice for short lifetime disposable products for consumer benefit.
PLA is one of the major bioplastics coming into day to day use. It is biodegradable and is often used in packaging. However, it is relatively weak and has a low melting point; in fact, it usually cant be used in cups as hot drinks over 50°C will quickly melt the polymer. When used in plastic bags, PLA can be more prone to splitting over time than other kinds of plastic, causing headaches for consumers and supply chain managers who have to get the bags to clients before their “Best Before” date. Different production methods can raise the melting point and strength of PLA, but there are still limits on how much this can help. A number of companies have been working on additives to enhance the performance of PLA; Vibatan has just launched a trio of “masterbatches”. Masterbatches are polymers with high concentrations of additives; for example a polymer with high concentrations of pigment.
The three additives create different properties in PLA; PLA modifier 03925 is designed for increasing strength in injection molded PLA products and maintains transparency. PLA strengthener 04075 is specialized for enhancing the performance of PLA products manufactured by extrusion and PLA enhancer 03834 also improves the performance of PLA and makes it easier to process.
The physical performance of bioplastics is an area where they are often lacking and products such as these masterbatches offer means to patch up this weak point. Masterbatch and additive based enhancements could broaden the applications that bioplastics are fit for, from tougher plastic bags, to cups that have better heat resistance or some automotive manufacturers are using enhanced PLA in engine components. This means PLA could be sold to a wider range of customers and adding value to the PLA industry, enabling it to grow.
However, the green credentials of these additives are important if they make up such a high concentration of the finished product; if they are not biodegradable or are polluting to produce there is a risk that the benefits of these additives might be misleading. A 100% renewable, biodegradable bioplastic could have its “greenness” tarnished by high concentrations of a petrochemical based additive that is toxic and with increased toughness, potentially less biodegradable. It might even be the case that an additive is not biodegradable at all being left behind as residue when the PLA degrades.
To turn this on its head, bioplastics that have been strengthened and are still biodegradable might be suitable for high performance applications, but the fact that they are biodegradable would shorten their safe working lifetime as they are likely to fail sooner than a non-biodegradable plastic. These are issues that will affect any performance enhancer for bioplastics and should be considered by PLA manufacturers and additive developers. Biodegradable bioplastics are suitable replacements the majority of plastics sold; those that are used to produce short lifetime, disposable products. While these additives could make short lifetime products perform better, they should not be taken as a way turn PLA into a biodegradable super-plastic.
PLA is one of the major bioplastics coming into day to day use. It is biodegradable and is often used in packaging. However, it is relatively weak and has a low melting point; in fact, it usually cant be used in cups as hot drinks over 50°C will quickly melt the polymer. When used in plastic bags, PLA can be more prone to splitting over time than other kinds of plastic, causing headaches for consumers and supply chain managers who have to get the bags to clients before their “Best Before” date. Different production methods can raise the melting point and strength of PLA, but there are still limits on how much this can help. A number of companies have been working on additives to enhance the performance of PLA; Vibatan has just launched a trio of “masterbatches”. Masterbatches are polymers with high concentrations of additives; for example a polymer with high concentrations of pigment.
The three additives create different properties in PLA; PLA modifier 03925 is designed for increasing strength in injection molded PLA products and maintains transparency. PLA strengthener 04075 is specialized for enhancing the performance of PLA products manufactured by extrusion and PLA enhancer 03834 also improves the performance of PLA and makes it easier to process.
The physical performance of bioplastics is an area where they are often lacking and products such as these masterbatches offer means to patch up this weak point. Masterbatch and additive based enhancements could broaden the applications that bioplastics are fit for, from tougher plastic bags, to cups that have better heat resistance or some automotive manufacturers are using enhanced PLA in engine components. This means PLA could be sold to a wider range of customers and adding value to the PLA industry, enabling it to grow.
However, the green credentials of these additives are important if they make up such a high concentration of the finished product; if they are not biodegradable or are polluting to produce there is a risk that the benefits of these additives might be misleading. A 100% renewable, biodegradable bioplastic could have its “greenness” tarnished by high concentrations of a petrochemical based additive that is toxic and with increased toughness, potentially less biodegradable. It might even be the case that an additive is not biodegradable at all being left behind as residue when the PLA degrades.
To turn this on its head, bioplastics that have been strengthened and are still biodegradable might be suitable for high performance applications, but the fact that they are biodegradable would shorten their safe working lifetime as they are likely to fail sooner than a non-biodegradable plastic. These are issues that will affect any performance enhancer for bioplastics and should be considered by PLA manufacturers and additive developers. Biodegradable bioplastics are suitable replacements the majority of plastics sold; those that are used to produce short lifetime, disposable products. While these additives could make short lifetime products perform better, they should not be taken as a way turn PLA into a biodegradable super-plastic.
Scientists Develop High Performance Nano-Cellulose Fibers to Strengthen Plastics
Brazilian scientists have developed a new way of manipulating cellulose that makes it far stronger and also makes it suitable for high performance applications.
While it is often the subject of cellulosic biofuel research where it is broken down into its constituent sugars, cellulose is also of interest as a polymer in its own right. It is strong, light and has been used to produce biodegradable polymers. The properties of cellulose are rooted in its molecular structure and what these researchers did was produce a “nano-scale” structure with higher physical strength than “ordinary” cellulose structures. The new cellulose polymers are stronger, lighter and greener than many polymers used in industry. The new cellulose fibers can be used to reinforce other polymers, in some cases making them nearly as strong as Kevlar.The pure modified cellulose is expensive, however 1 kilo of modified cellulose can be used to reinforce 100 kilos of plastic, drastically improving its strength-to-weight ratio. For this cellulose application, the researchers found waste from a range of fruit bearing plants is an ideal feedstock. The manufacturing process involves heating the feedstock and adding a number of chemicals to reform the cellulose into the desired nano-structure.
Sao Paulo State University Study Leader, Alcides Leão;
"The properties of these plastics are incredible; they are light, but very strong about 30 per cent lighter and 3 to 4 times stronger. We believe that a lot of car parts, including dashboards, bumpers, side panels, will be made of nano-sized fruit fibers in the future. For one thing, they will help reduce the weight of cars and that will improve fuel economy."
Cellulose reinforced plastics have been tested by several car manufacturers and Leão predicts that it will find its way into new car models within the next few years.The potential weight reduction would be useful in reducing emissions across the transport sector and the cellulose-reinforced fibers are more resistant to damage from heat and chemicals. He even claims that one day it may be possible to replace metal automotive parts with parts produced from cellulose reinforced plastics.
This development is one of several which is beginning to broaden the markets in which biopolymers are suited for; for example, Entropy resins recently released its biobased epoxy which can be used in high performance composite products like snowboards and wind turbine blades. Biobased polymers are often lacking is in high performance applications, often limited to replacing petrochemical-based plastics in packaging. The fact that often bioplastics are biodegradable is useful for these applications, though it often results in lower resilience or weakening of the plastic over its working lifetime. Stronger polymers are generally less biodegradable so this nano-cellulose reinforcement will be less biodegradable, which consumers should be aware of. As this is commercialized it could open up a market for low carbon footprint, sustainable high performance materials that would compete with metals and specialist plastics, the green credentials of which are currently lacking.Potentially, this could be a major way for a broader range of manufacturers to decrease the carbon footprint of their products in future.
Waste is a Terrible Thing to Waste: Poly-Green Technologies Develop PUR Foam Production from Biodiesel Waste
A researcher from Ohio State University has developed a way to produce polyurethane foam from a byproduct of biodiesel manufacture which is usually just discarded, neatly finding a greener way to produce PUR and making the biodiesel game more profitable.
Crude glycerin is the biodiesel byproduct; it is usually of so little value that it is usually thrown away. However, researcher Yebo Li found a way to convert it into a polyol which can then in turn be used to produce polyurethane (PUR). PUR is commonly used in the form of foams in the automotive industry to produce gaskets, seals, tires and also in interior upholstery. It also has application in adhesives, coatings and can be used as a hard plastic. The final PUR product is comparable to the petrochemically derived product in quality.
The fact that the process uses a waste product as feedstock makes it cheap; the polyol can be produced 5-10% more cheaply than petroleum based polyols. This is still true in comparison to other processes used to manufacture polyols from biomass because what is otherwise a waste product is cheaper than biomass. The quality of the product made from waste is also higher than the quality of the product produced from biomass; these biopolyols must be blended with petrochemically derived polyols to bring the quality up to scratch for some applications. As Jeff Schultheis, Chief Operating Officer of Poly-Green Technologies puts it, the company is “competing not just on being 'green,' but also on overall quality and cost." Crude glycerin is currently cheap and abundant and as biodiesel production grows, more of glycerin will be produced; for every ten gallons of biodiesel produced, a gallon of crude glycerin is produced. In 2011, it is predicted that 70 million gallons of crude glycerin will be produced in the US.
With biodiesel production rising, there is a need for this technology and others like it which put waste to use. Biodiesel has been struggling this past year with a subsidy that was not renewed, and a technology such as this would give biodiesel producers another way to add value to their operations at this rough time. Also, this value would be from activity in the chemicals industry; several presenters (such as Genomatica) at the Infocast event in Milan claim that the chemicals industry is a more stable market than fuels. The additional stable revenue stream would give the biodiesel industry a safety net as it grows, something that would mean that feedstock is used more efficiently.
Poly-green technologies is in a late stage of development and looking at moving quickly to scale up and is constructing a reactor which will allow the company to produce hundreds of thousands of gallons of polyols a year and they believe that they can increase the output to more than that. The company has also got the help of a marketing company with experience in the polyol industry. The PUR industry in the US is worth more than $13bn and is very reliant on petroleum. When this technology comes to market, Poly-Green Technologies predict that they will be able to sell 1 million gallons in the first year and increase to 5 million gallons within 5 years.
However, the green credentials of PUR are not great. PUR is produced by polymerizing polyols and isocyanates; even if polyols can be produced renewably from waste, isocyanates are a problem. There are ways to synthesize them from soy bean oil; however there are no projects working to commercialize them at present. Isocyanates are also fairly toxic, being known to sensitize handlers to asthma attacks. Interestingly, a company called Nanotech Industries has developed a variant of PUR that does not use any isocyanates, maybe a match between these two companies could deliver the greenest PUR the world has seen?
Danisco Loses the First Round in Patent Battle with Novozymes
Danisco has lost a US court bid to invalidate a patent held by Novozymes for an engineered enzyme used to produce biofuel.
Novozymes claims that one of Danisco’s products infringes a patent it holds for a thermostable alpha amylase enzyme. This enzyme converts starch to sugars, which can then be fermented to produce bioethanol. The thermostability of the enzyme is a key detail. Usually enzymes operate optimally at moderate temperatures and are destroyed at high temperatures. However, higher temperatures make the reaction faster; therefore an enzyme that retains its activity at these temperatures can increase yields.
After the initial action from Novozymes stating that Danisco was infringing on its patent, Danisco came back by challenging the validity of the patent; seeking a judgment from US District Judge Barbara Crabb to back up its counter-claim. This has been rejected on the grounds that the “defendants haven't met their burden to prove by clear and convincing evidence that the 723 patent is invalid as a matter of law, and now it is likely that the case will go to trial. However, Danisco still seems confident; Soonhee Jang, Chief Intellectual Property Counsel at Danisco claims that it isn’t “unusual that the court doesn't grant a motion such as this in an early phase of a trial. We are still confident and will go forward with the trial. We believe we will prevail. Danisco argue that the Novozymes patent does not fully describe Novozymes enzyme, and despite refusing their action, Judge Crabb agreed to some extent.
As the case involves two of the largest enzyme manufacturers for biofuel, this case will have an impact on the Bioethanol industry and also on the wider biobased chemicals market. Thermostable enzymes are of great value to the biobased chemicals industry: the manufacturers that have access to those technologies will have a considerable competitive advantage. One wonders how the ruling will affect future developments and innovation regarding thermostable enzymes and how the trial will affect the bioethanol enzymes landscape in general. The trial will take place in October and I will be keeping an eye on how this develops.
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