Brazil's Brasken in tandem with Danish catalyst producer, Haldor Topsoe, have yielded their first demo production of bio nonethylene glycol made from sugar, Haldor Topsoe said in a statement Nov. 24.
Using proprietary technology, Haldor Topsoe said it had yielded the bio MEG from it's demo site in Lyngby, Denmark, which started up operation in 2019, with the aim of demonstrating and optimizing the transformation of sugar into renewable MEG, the company said.
MEG is an intermediate chemical that is used in the manufacture of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) - used in the production of plastic drinks bottles, textiles, and anti-freeze.
Primary PET production is made using fossil-based derivative naphtha and gas and the market is worth around $25 billion, the company said.
The new technology will also enable the company to make, monopropylene glycol as a co-product for use in the manufacture of unsaturated polyester resins used in construction and cosmetics applications.
The next stage will focus on providing production samples to strategic partners for testing and validation, which will enable the company to make a decision on whether to approve the technology for commercial use and scale-up production.
The technology also fits Braskem's strategic focus on the circular economy and renewable technology, the statement said.
"This first-ever production of ... MEG is a major step forward in our project and underlines Braskem's commitment to the Circular Economy through renewable chemicals. This technology has the potential to revolutionize the PET market," says Gustavo Sergi, executive officer of Renewable Chemicals and Specialties at Braskem.
