PEF plastic synthesized from industrial carbon dioxide and biowaste

Jiang, L.; González-Díaz, Abigail; Ling‐Chin, Janie; Malik, Anushree; Roskilly, Anthony Paul; Smallbone, Andrew

doi:10.1038/s41893-020-0549-y

Cited by 98 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 33 publications

(32 reference statements)

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“…Since the subsequent use and disposal of various PET products vary greatly, the system boundary of this LCA is set as "cradle-to-gate". To make a fair comparison with previous work and to simplify the analysis [46][47][48][49] , the LCA of PET recycling is based on the "cut-off" approach (Fig. 3a).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acetolysis of waste PET for upcycling and life-cycle assessment study

Peng

Yang

Deng

et al. 2022

Preprint

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To reduce environmental pollution and reliance on fossil resources, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as the most consumed synthetic polyester needs to be recycled effectively. However, the existing recycling methods cannot process colored or blended PET materials for upcycling. Here we report a new efficient method for acetolysis of waste PET into terephthalic acid (TPA) and ethylene glycol diacetate (EGDA) in acetic acid. Since acetic acid can dissolve or decompose other components such as dyes, additives, blends, etc., TPA can be crystallized out in a high-purity form. On the other hand, EGDA can be hydrolyzed to ethylene glycol or directly polymerized with TPA to form PET, completing the closed-loop recycling. The life-cycle assessment shows that, compared with the petroleum route, 67% of global warming potential and 77% of non-renewable energy use can be reduced via acetolysis under optimum conditions. This is the lowest environmental impact of all chemical recycling options available today.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acetolysis of waste PET for upcycling and life-cycle assessment study

Peng

Yang

Deng

et al. 2022

Preprint

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“…Exhaust gases from NH 3 factories and coal power plants contain ~97% and 15% CO 2 (sold at <$70 per tonne), respectively. These emission-intensive industries can, thus, provide CO 2 as a building block 87 , 88 for the synthesis of polyurethanes, polycarbonates and various other chemicals 86 , 89 , 90 .…”

Section: Bio-based Raw Materialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bioplastics for a circular economy

2022

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Bioplastics — typically plastics manufactured from bio-based polymers — stand to contribute to more sustainable commercial plastic life cycles as part of a circular economy, in which virgin polymers are made from renewable or recycled raw materials. Carbon-neutral energy is used for production and products are reused or recycled at their end of life (EOL). In this Review, we assess the advantages and challenges of bioplastics in transitioning towards a circular economy. Compared with fossil-based plastics, bio-based plastics can have a lower carbon footprint and exhibit advantageous materials properties; moreover, they can be compatible with existing recycling streams and some offer biodegradation as an EOL scenario if performed in controlled or predictable environments. However, these benefits can have trade-offs, including negative agricultural impacts, competition with food production, unclear EOL management and higher costs. Emerging chemical and biological methods can enable the ‘upcycling’ of increasing volumes of heterogeneous plastic and bioplastic waste into higher-quality materials. To guide converters and consumers in their purchasing choices, existing (bio)plastic identification standards and life cycle assessment guidelines need revision and homogenization. Furthermore, clear regulation and financial incentives remain essential to scale from niche polymers to large-scale bioplastic market applications with truly sustainable impact.

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“…175 If all the ∼15 million tons per year of PET bottles were replaced by PEF, between 440-520 PJ of non-renewable energy and 20 to 35 million tons of CO 2 equivalents could be saved globally. 175 An even better perspective was anticipated by Jian et al, 176 wherein PEF was produced from industrial carbon dioxide emissions (captured CO 2 ) and biowaste instead of food-derived biomass. 176 This potential environmental impact of even partially replacing PET by PEF is one of the critical factors that brought PEF to the forefront of the search for better sustainability performance polymers.…”

Section: Nathanael Guigomentioning

confidence: 99%