Polyethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate

Polyethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate, also named Poly(ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate), Polyethylene furanoate and Poly(ethylene furanoate) and generally abbreviated as PEF, is a polymer that can be produced by polycondensation of 2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid, FDCA and Monoethylene glycol, MEG. As an aromatic polyester from ethylene glycol it is a chemical analogue of Polyethylene terephthalate, PET and Polyethylene naphthalate, PEN. PEF has been described in (patent) literature since 1951,[1] but has gained renewed attention since the US department of energy proclaimed its building block, FDCA, as a potential bio-based replacement for purified Terephthalic acid, PTA in 2004.[2]

Benefits over Polyethylene Terephthalate

One life-cycle assessment showed that replacing PTA in the production of PET by bio-based FDCA for the production of PEF has a potential for significant reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and non-renewable energy use (NREU).[3] Furthermore, PEF exhibits an intrinsically higher gas barrier for oxygen,[4] carbon dioxide[5] and water vapor[6] than PET and can therefore be considered an interesting alternative for packaging applications such as bottles, films and food trays.

References

  1. ↑ US 2551731 A, Polyesters from heterocyclic components, 1951
  2. ↑ Top Value Added Chemicals from Biomass
  3. ↑ A.J.J.E. Eerhart et al., Replacing fossil based PET with biobased PEF; process analysis, energy and GHG balance, Energy Environ. Sci., 2012
  4. ↑ S.K. Burgess et al., Oxygen sorption and transport in amorphous poly (ethylene furanoate), Polymer, 2014
  5. ↑ S.K. Burgess et al., Carbon Dioxide Sorption and Transport in Amorphous Poly (ethylene furanoate), Macromolecules, 2015
  6. ↑ S.K. Burgess et al., Water sorption in poly (ethylene furanoate) compared to poly (ethylene terephthalate). Part 2: Kinetic sorption, Polymer, 2014
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