Less petroleum + More CO2 = ‘Green’ plastic
The bioplastics industry is exploding as we have revealed to you before. The reason is simple. It takes A LOT of petroleum to make the conventional plastics and that as you know is not pretty…
So bioplastics – based on biomass, CO2 or even microorganisms are coming to the fore! The latest solution to this conundrum however is an interesting one…
Less petroleum?
Seems to be the answer according to New York based Novomer, Inc. and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), who have come together to fund an $800,000 effort to produce polypropylene carbonate (PPC) materials, made using a combination of CO2 and petroleum.
By adding CO2, Novomer uses only half as much oil as required to make conventional plastics…
How?
Novomer’s process works by employing a zinc-based catalyst to bond environmental by-products such as CO2 to liquid epoxides (a highly reactive ether) in a reactor.
STRETCHING PLASTIC'S BOUNDARIES Novomer and NYSERDA are teaming up on an $800,000 project to scale up production of Novomer's polypropylene carbonate (PPC) materials, made using a combination of CO2 and petroleum. (© NOVOMER, INC)
The resulting material…
Is a honey-like liquid that can be used to make plastic products including bottles, clear packaging wrap and scratch-resistant coatings.
The idea is catching on…
And Kodak Specialty Chemicals along with Rochester Institute of Technology plan to provide Novomer with the equipment and facilities needed to scale up production in the near future!
via: NewScientist
Please contact us if the credits are inaccurate or need to be changed.
