FDCA & Next Generation Polyester
From Plant Based materials to FDCA and PEF
2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid(FDCA) developed by FCAD, can be used as a replacement for terephthalic acid (TA), a petroleum-based monomer that is primarily used to produce PET. Because of the enormous potential of Furanics-based materials the chemical conversion of plant-based carbohydrates into FDCA has been a hot topic of intensive R&D efforts for decades. Applying FCAD’s expertise in advanced catalyst development, catalytic process technology and high-throughput evaluation, FCAD is an early company to find an economically viable route to unlocking the Furanics’ full potential.
FDCA polymerization
The FDCA monomer offers exciting opportunities to create a wide range of polymers– polyesters, polyamides and polyurethanes – as well as coating resins, plasticizers and other chemical products.
PEF, used to create bottles, films and fibers, is itself a polyester-based on FDCA and MEG (ethylene-glycol). The polymerization process to make PEF has already been successfully initiated at pilot plant scale.
The next generation polyester
PEF is a next-generation polyester that offers superior barrier and thermal properties, making it ideal material for the packaging of soft drinks, water, alcoholic beverages, fruit juices, food and non-food products. Therefore PEF is the 100% biobased alternative to PET.
Technical data demonstrates PEF to PEF recycling will be feasible. During a transition period PEF will be mixed in the recycled PET stream. Experiments to determine the compatibility of PEF with PET recycling show PEF has no impact on mechanical and physical properties of PET. Leading brand owners, such as Coca-Cola and Danone, have publicly expressed their strategy to pursue 100% renewable and 100% recyclable materials.
Market potential FDCA
But FDCA is more than PEF alone, and can be applied as chemical building block in a wide variety of industrial applications. In this graph we show FDCA’s enormous market potential.
FCAD’s Related Products
1. FDCA, 2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid CAS 3238-40-2
2. FDME, Dimethyl Furan-2,5-dicarboxylate CAS 4282-32-0
3. DMF, 2,5-Dimethylfuran CAS 625-86-5
4. 2,5-Dimethyltetrahydrofuran CAS 1003-38-9
5. HMF, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural CAS 67-47-0
6. FDM, 2,5-Furandimethanol CAS 1883-75-6
7. 2,5-Diformylfuran CAS 823-82-5
8. THFDM, 2,5-dihydroxymethyl tetrahydrofuran CAS 104-80-3
9. OBMF, 5, 5′(oxy-bis(methylene))bis-2-furfural CAS 7389-38-0
10. THFDMFADE, 2, 5-Tetrahydrofurandimethanol Fatty Acid Diesters, the product obtained after the esterification of 2,5-tetrahydrofurandimethanol and fatty acid can be added to diesel oil as an oil additive to effectively improve the cetane value of diesel oil and lubricity of oil products, with the effect of reducing fuel consumption and emission and protecting the engine. In addition, 2,5-tetrahydrofurandimethanol fatty acid diesters can also be used to prepare plasticizers.
