Bio-Polyethylene Furanoate Production in Latin America as a Response to the Current Needs for Sustainable Food Packaging

Abstract

Plastic materials have long been essential in the production of food packaging, due to their advantageous properties, cost-efficiency, and durability. Nevertheless, alarming reports from the United Nations indicate that Latin America generates 17,000 tons of plastic waste daily, with 30% of it being released into the environment. As a reaction, major companies in the food industry have committed to introduce more environmentally friendly packaging solutions. This research aimed to gather the reported packaging needs of some major Latin American food industries and propose a suitable bioplastic or natural polymer alternative to traditional plastics. Polyethylene Furanoate (Bio-PEF), derived from biomass, is highlighted as the most promising bioplastic. The study outlines a detailed production process for Bio-PEF from sucrose and ethylene, including four stages: obtention of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, oxidation to furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), production of ethylene glycol (EG), and polymerization of FDCA and EG. Braskem (Brazil), a pioneering and leading producer of bio-polyethylene (bio-PE), was identified as one of the most potential companies in Latin America to manufacture Bio-PEF. Although, the technology can be applied to any bioethanol company operating under a biorefinery scheme. In the Bio-PE process, Braskem uses sucrose from sugar cane to produce ethylene which could be subsequently used to synthesize Bio-PEF. Braskem is equipped with the necessary technology and scale for Bio-PEF production. Material balances using 10% of the sucrose and ethylene as inputs in a four stages production demonstrated a potential yield of 35.49 kg/h of Bio-PEF, producing 0.31 kg of Bio-PEF/Kg of sucrose.