Researchers from the Stanford University in the US have developed renewable plastic from carbon dioxide (CO2) and inedible plant material, creating a green alternative to petroleum-based plastic bottles and other polyester products.
The researchers have combined carbonate with CO2 and furfural derivative furoic acid to produce polyethylene furandicarboxylate (PEF), which is claimed to be more environmentally efficient alternative of the plastic ingredient polyester.
During an experiment, the carbonate mixture is heated to about 200 degrees Celsius to form a molten salt, which is then converted to 2-5-Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). The researchers then directly converted the FDCA to PEF.
Stanford chemistry assistant professor Matthew Kanan said: "Our goal is to replace petroleum-derived products with plastic made from CO2.
"If you could do that without using a lot of non-renewable energy, you could dramatically lower the carbon footprint of the plastics industry."
Kanan said that the new approach could significantly reduce greenhouse emissions because the CO2 obtained from fossil-fuel power plant emissions or other industrial sites is used to make PEF.
"We believe that our chemistry can unlock the promise of PEF that has yet to be realized," Kanan said.
"This is just the first step. We need to do a lot of work to see if it's viable at scale and to quantify the carbon footprint."
The team, which also includes chemistry graduate student Aanindeeta Banerjee, is now working on a project to produce renewable fuels and other compounds from hydrogen and CO2.
In 2011, US-based Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) said it has joined researchers from Stanford University to develop a novel combination of elements that yields a unique nanostructure material for packaging.
The improvement for semiconductors will come in the form of packaging for devices.
Image: Stanford University researchers developed renewable plastic to help provide a green alternative to petroleum-based plastic bottles. Photo: courtesy of Stanford University.
