From bio-based feedstocks via di-acids to multiple advanced bio-based materials with a preference for polyethylene furanoate
In October 2024, PEFerence officially opened a unique, industrial scale, cost-effective biorefinery flagship plant producing FDCA (furan dicarboxylic acid), a bio-based building block to produce high value products.
Bio-based FDCA can be used to make a wide range of chemicals and polymers such as polyesters, polyamides, coating resins and plasticizers and, crucially, can also be used to make PEF (polyethylene furanoate), a 100 % bio-based polyester used to make bottles, films and fibres.
Bio-based FDCA can be used to make a wide range of chemicals and polymers such as polyesters, polyamides, coating resins and plasticizers and, crucially, can also be used to make PEF (polyethylene furanoate), a 100 % bio-based polyester used to make bottles, films and fibres.
The PEFerence consortium aims to replace a significant share of fossil-based polyesters, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as well as polyamide layers in multilayer packaging, and packaging materials like glass and metal with 100 % bio-based furanics polyesters. PEF's excellent barrier properties and its calculated cost price indicate that it can compete with traditional, multi-million tonne, packaging products such as aluminium cans, multilayer packaging and small size multilayer PET bottles, on price and performance when produced at scale. PEF is sustainable and also completely recyclable.
Other promising materials to be validated in the project include FDCA-based polyurethanes and humins-based resins.
Other promising materials to be validated in the project include FDCA-based polyurethanes and humins-based resins.
Design For Recycling
PEF is recyclable in existing PET recycling streams
or in closed loop PEF-to-PEF recycling.
PEF is enabling fully circular packaging.
or in closed loop PEF-to-PEF recycling.
PEF is enabling fully circular packaging.