Process Development for 100% renewable resource-based Polyethylene Furanoate (PEF) via Ring-opening polymerization

PEF process

Student Projects

Bachelor or Master theses are offered for this project. Please, contact the responsible researchers for detailed information or use this Downloadlink (PDF, 317 KB).

Project Objectives

  • Synthesis of cyclic PEF monomer synthesis at high yield and high purity
  • Synthesis of high molecular weight PEF polymer via ring-opening polymerization of those cyclics
  • Material property characterization of actual PEF products such as films and other packaging materials
  • Computational modelling to understand reaction kinetics and equilibria
  • Scale-up of the established process from lab-scale to pilot-scale with the industrial partner
  • Techno-economic analysis of the overall process

Project Description

Towards a more sustainable future, polyethylene furanoate (PEF) represents a 100% renewable resource-based alternative to polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is at an annual production of 50M T/a one of the most dominant plastics on the planet. Polyethylene furanoate (PEF) has already shown to possess superior material properties to PET, which allows not only for a reduction in carbon footprint, but also for improved products in typical PET applications such as food packaging, textiles, car tyres, medical devices, solar cells etc.

While recent efforts in industry and academia were focused on synthesis of PEF via polycondensation, which is a step-growth polymerization burdened with by-product removal and long reaction times (days), we are exploring a novel route: Ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of cyclic PEF monomers which do not feature endgroups that have to be removed. This approach offers fast reaction times (minutes) and a better control of (co)polymer architecture through a “living” process.

The project is addressing the development of the two major process steps: 1) cyclic monomer synthesis from renewable resources and their purification, and 2) ring-opening polymerization for PEF and the manufacture of actual PEF products.

Contact Persons

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