Ending fossil-based growth: Confronting the political economy of petrochemical plastics

The potential of CO2-based production cycles in biotechnology to fight the climate crisis

“…99% of the raw materials for plastic production are derived from fossil resources such as mineral oil, gas, or coal, which significantly increase their carbon footprint 82 . 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions are caused solely by the production of plastics 83 , and as plastic production will continuously increase in the future also the carbon footprint will get bigger, not even considering CO 2 release by decomposition or incineration. Conventional polymers like polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) have a carbon content of about 85% (mass carbon per total mass) and thus form a potential carbon sink.…”

Extractive Promotion on the Synthesis of 5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural from Highly Concentrated Saccharides in Ionic Liquid

“…The massive carbon emissions from automotive and transportation industries have triggered some serious climate change and ecological issues. [1,2] Following the carbon-neutral policy is becoming more appropriate to address these challenges. [3] Biomass has been widely considered as an alternative energy source since entering the 21st century.…”

Enhancing the separation of C2H4/C2H6 in customized MOR zeolites

“…Ethylene (C 2 H 4 ) is the most widely used petrochemical, with a global demand of more than 200 million tons per year since 2021, typically obtained through the steam cracking and thermal decomposition of ethane, and generating a mixture consisting of ethylene, uncracked ethane, and little other hydrocarbons. 1–3 The current separation process involves repeated compression and decompression refrigeration, is highly energy-intensive and accounts for approximately 75% of the overall cost of olefin production. 4,5 Developing practical adsorbents (such as zeolites, 6–11 metal–organic frameworks, 12–14 and other porous materials 15,16 ) and an efficient process 17–20 can represent a significant advancement in the economics of hydrocarbon production.…”