Polymerisation
| Technology | |
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| Technology details | |
| Name: | Polymerisation |
| Category: | Conversion (Chemical processes and technologies) |
| Feedstock: | Single molecules, monomers |
| Product: | Polymers (polyolefins, polycondensates) |
Polymerisation (polymerization in American English) is the process of reaction smaller molecules, i.e. monomers, together into a chain or network, i.e. a polymer. There are many forms of polymerisation reactions. A common distinction is between homopolymers, where one type of monomer forms the polymer, and co-polymers, where multiple different monomers make up the polymer. A well-known application of polymers is in plastics. However, polymerisations can also lead to smaller chains, known as oligomers, which are for example used as plasticisers and lubricants.
Feedstock
Origin and composition
Several bio-based feedstock options have been explored for the production of bio-based polymers. Lignin can be depolymerised and the obtained products can be used as monomers. Ethanol from fermentations can be processed to produce ethylene, a common feedstock for polymerisations. Fatty acids can be used in long-chain linear aliphatic polymers. Other biomass feedstock includes CO2, terpenes, and furfural.[1]
Pre-treatment
The pre-treatment of the feedstock for polymerisation is depending on the specific process and feedstock used. In principal, the feedstock is converted to a building block like ethylene, propylene, styrene or others in a first step and then polymerised in a catalytic process. High purity of the feedstock is crucial for successful polymerisation reactions, which are highly susceptible to pollutants, often leading to lower polymerisation grades or smaller polymerisation chains.
Process and technologies
There has been signifcant effort to produce polymers from biomass rest streams. The key challenge lies in producing materials that have comparable or improved properties to their fossil-based counterparts. The right processing, which is often neglected by chemists, plays a crucial role in enhancing the material properties.[1] The specific technologies are depending on the types of polymer, but normally do not differ from conventional polymerisation processes in case of drop-in polymers like bio-based PE, PP, PET and others.
Product
Three critical processes to obtain sustainable bio-based polymers are the conversion of lignin monomers to polymers, the production of bio-based polyolefins, for example from ethylene via the ethanol route, and the production of long-chain aliphatic polycondensates, which can be obtained from fatty acids.[1]
Post-treatment
Normally the resulting polymers are compounded to plastics with different kinds of additives like plasticizers or others or post-processed to reach their aimed properties. In case of plastics the material normally is melted and extruded to pellets for the further processing.
Technology providers
| Company name | Country | Technology category | Technology name | TRL | Capacity [kg/h] | Catalyst | Residence time [h] | Temperature [°C] | Feedstock: Food waste | Feedstock: Garden & park waste |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company 1 | [Country HQ location] | [Technology category (if different sub-categories are defined this has to be specified here, the available categories can be found on each technology page under the chapter Process and technologies)] | [Technology name (the "branded name" or the usual naming from company side)] | [4-9] | [numeric value] | ● | ● | |||
| Company 2 | [Country HQ location] | [(if different sub-categories are defined this has to be specified here, the available categories can be found on each technology page under the chapter Process and technologies)] | [Technology name (the "branded name" or the usual naming from company side)] | [4-9] | [numeric value] | ● | ● |
Petron Scientech Inc.
Vertimass
| General information | |||
| Company: | Vertimass |
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| Country: | USA | ||
| Contact: | |||
| Webpage: | https://www.vertimass.com/ | ||
| Technology and process details | |||
| Technology name: | CADO (Consolidated alcohol dehydration and oligomerization) | Technology category: | Conversion (Chemical processes and technologies) |
| TRL: | 9 | Capacity: | kg·h-1 |
| Catalyst: | Residence time: | min | |
| Temperature: | °C | Other: | |
| Feedstock and product details | |||
| Feedstock: | 'Wet' ethanol | Product: | Jet fuel, biodiesel |
Open access pilot and demo facility providers
Patents
Currently no patents have been identified.
References
- ↑ a b c Zhongkai Wang, Mitra S. Ganewatta, Chuanbing Tang, 2020-02-01: Sustainable polymers from biomass: Bridging chemistry with materials and processing. Progress in Polymer Science, Vol. 101, 101197. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2019.101197