DuPont and Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) have announced the opening of the world’s first biobased furan dicarboxylic methyl ester (FDME) pilot production facility in Decatur, Illinois.
FDME, a molecule derived from fructose, can be used to create a variety of biobased chemicals and materials, including plastics, that are said to be more cost-effective, efficient and sustainable than those produced via fossil fuel-based counterparts.
One of the first FDME-based polymers under development by DuPont is polytrimethylene furandicarboxyate (PTF), a novel polyester also made from DuPont’s proprietary Bio-PDO (1,3-propanediol).
DuPont says PTF, a 100 percent renewable polymer, can be used to create lighter-weight, more sustainable and better performing plastic bottles.
Research undertaken by the company shows that PTF has up to 10-15 times the CO2 barrier performance of traditional PET plastic, which prolongs shelf life, allowing companies to design lighter-weight packages, lowering the carbon emissions and costs related with shipping carbonated beverages.
“We’re confident FDME is both the more sustainable option and the better-for-business option,” said Michael Saltzberg, Ph.D., Global Business Director for Biomaterials at DuPont Industrial Biosciences.
“This molecule, and its numerous applications, will be high-performing, cost-effective and better for the environment. Our goal is to bring this game-changing technology to commercial scale as quickly as possible.”