White Rot Fungus Boosts Ethanol Production from Cellulosic Plants, Find Researchers

Scientists are reporting new evidence that a white rot fungus shows promise in the search for a way to use waste corn stalks, cobs and leaves — rather than corn itself — to produce ethanol to extend supplies of gasoline. Their study on using the fungus to break down the tough cellulose and related material in this so-called "corn stover" to free up sugars for ethanol fermentation appears in the ACS' journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research.

Yebo Li and colleagues explain that corn ethanol supplies are facing a crunch because corn is critical for animal feed and food. They note that the need for new sources of ethanol has shifted attention to using stover, which is the most abundant agricultural residue in the U.S., estimated at 170-256 million tons per year. The challenge is to find a way to break down tough cellulose material in cobs, stalks and leaves — so that sugars inside can be fermented to ethanol. Previous studies indicated that the microbe Ceriporiopsis subvermispora, known as a white rot fungus, showed promise for breaking down the tough plant material prior to treatment with enzymes to release the sugars. To advance that knowledge, they evaluated how well the fungus broke down the different parts of corn stover and improved the sugar yield.

Treating stover with the white rot fungus for one month enabled them to extract up to 30 percent more sugar from the leaves and 50 percent more from the stalks and cobs. Because corn leaves are useful for controlling soil erosion when left in the field, harvesting only the cobs and stalks for ethanol production may make the most sense in terms of sustainable agriculture, the report suggests.

CO2 Polymers - Novel Options for Plastic Industry - A Challenge to Sustainable Chemistry

The world's largest conference on "CO₂ as Feedstock for Chemistry and Polymers" (Haus der Technik Essen, 10-11 October 2012) covers an incredibly wide range of uses for CO₂, developing a vision for a sustainable carbon dioxide economy.

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, the end product of burning fossil fuels or biomass, are largely responsible for the greenhouse effect and thus for climate change. A reduction in CO₂ emissions are therefore at the very top of the international political agenda. Trials are running in parallel to explore underground sequestration of CO₂ from power stations, thereby removing it from the atmosphere.

It would at first sight seem paradoxical to wish to use energy-poor, inert CO₂ molecules. Considerable research and development efforts in recent years have led to new and innovative CO₂-recycling technologies and a vision of a CO₂ economy. CO₂ recycling has quickly become a hot topic for the future for every large company in the chemicals and plastics sector. Wirtschaftswoche reports that even Novel prize winners George Olah and Joseph Stiglitz have recognized the gas as a future fuel and raw material of the chemical industry.

In the last three years, the US Department of Energy and the German Ministry for Research (BMBF) have each provided some €100 million for research into new uses for CO₂. These investments are already bearing fruit. Evonik, BASF and Bayer Material Science are working hard on CO₂ polymers. Siemens and BASF demonstrated the first applications in household appliances such as fridge compartments and vacuum cleaner casings at the ACHEMA fair in Frankfurt in June 2012. The automobile and aircraft industries are working on fuels that depend on neither from oil nor biomass, but are instead derived from solar and wind power — and CO₂. These are also early days for a new chemical sector: recycling — the cascade use of CO₂ as a raw material for the chemical industry. Now new chemical and electrochemical reactions must be discovered and further technologies developed (e.g. the efficient separation and purification of CO₂ from the emission flow) to turn the climate killer into a renewable resource.

Alessandra Quadrelli from Lyons University sees CO₂ as one of the most important raw materials for the chemical industry in the future. According to her calculations, innovative chemical uses of CO₂ could achieve up to 10% of the global reduction in greenhouse gases that is required.

CO₂ polymers — new options for the plastic industry

The main new CO₂ polymer is polypropylene carbonate (PPC), which were first developed 40 years ago by Inoue, but is only now coming into its own. PPC is 43% CO₂ by mass, biodegradable, shows high temperature stability, high elasticity and transparency, and a memory effect. These characteristics open up a wide range of applications for PPC, including countless uses as packing film and foams, dispersions and softeners for brittle plastics. The North American companies Novomer and Empower Materials, the Norwegian firm Norner and SK Innovation from South Korea is some of those working to develop and produce PPC. Bayer Material Science exhibited polyurethane blocks at ACHEMA, which were made from CO₂ polyols. CO₂ replaces some of the mineral oil use. Industrial manufacturing of foams for mattresses and insulating materials for fridges and buildings are due to start in 2015.

PPC as a softener for bioplastics

Many bio-based plastics, e.g. PLA and PHA, are originally too brittle and can therefore only be used in conjunction with additives for many uses. Now a new option is available. They can cover an extended range of material characteristics through combinations of PPC with PLA or PHA. This keeps the material biodegradable and translucent, and it can be processed without any trouble using normal machinery. The vacuum cleaner casings that Bosch Siemens Household Appliances (BSH) displayed at ACHEMA are predominantly made of BASF's PPC and PHA and are intended as a substitute for the bulk plastic ABS. The first internal lifecycle analysis studies demonstrate the material's clear advantages. PPC/PLA combinations were used in fridge compartments.

Fuel from wind power, solar power and CO₂

An outside energy source is required if CO₂ is to be used as fuel. The major option here is to use surplus wind and solar power, which frequently occurs in Germany. Storage is a central concern with the expansion of renewable energy. If the surplus electricity is used to produce hydrogen (H2) from water, this can then be converted into various fuels in conjunction with CO₂. The first reaction is that of H2 with CO₂ to form methane (CH4), which can then fed into the gas network. Further chemical processes lead to methanol, petrol, diesel and kerosene. The high temperature steam electrolysis that is being optimized in the BMBF project now achieves a 70% efficiency level (electricity to hydrogen).

In 2011 a consortium of businesses in Iceland began building the first commercial plant, which will produce 5 million liters of methanol per year from CO₂. That would cover 2.5% of Iceland's fuel needs.

CO₂ as growth substrate for algae and bacteria

However, the world's largest use of CO₂ takes every day right in front of our eyes. With the help of photosynthesis (and with the action of sunlight), plants convert carbon dioxide into sugar, which they then use to produce all the important bio-molecules. This can also be commercially exploited: in large-scale reactors algae are gassed with carbon dioxide from power stations and then produce biomass.

Some bacteria can also use CO₂. The metabolism of these so-called acetogenic bacteria enables them to use CO₂ along with a carbon monoxide/hydrogen mixture (synthesis gas) as a growth substrate and as a basis for producing various products such as acetone, butanol and ethanol. A joint project between RWE and biotech company Brain was able to isolate numerous strains of bacteria in power station chimneys that could serve this purpose. Changes through molecular engineering to the bacteria can also lead to products other than the normal end products — for example the acrylic acids needed to produce PMMA (a polymer better known as plexiglass) and the biopolymer PHB. Synthetic biology methods should even allow for the production of customized bacteria in future for optimal CO₂ efficiency. Evonik in particular is working on the production of various chemicals, while the New Zealand firm LanzaTech is developing aircraft fuel and specialty chemicals based on butanol derived from CO₂ fermentation.

Eastman's Tritan™ Copolyester Offers Tough, BPA-free Alternative to PC in Tea Tumblers

Innovative housewares brand finum®, known for its patented tea and coffee filters and pots, has launched its first multifunctional tumbler, Traveler Zita™, for perfect leaf tea making while travelling. Riensch & Held GmbH & Co.KG selected Eastman Tritan™ copolyester for both the Tea Control™ Kit and the double-wall tumbler, due to its clarity, dishwasher proof durability and because it is Bisphenol A (BPA)-free.

"We needed a polymer material which resists the temperature changes that occur during tea brewing," says Christian J. Justus, finum® Managing Partner, Riensch & Held. "It also had to be unaffected by dishwashing, be taste-free, easy to clean, and tough enough to withstand rough usage and still look appealing."

"We found that Eastman Tritan™ copolyester easily meets all these parameters. It's also BPA-free, and has been evaluated and received food contact clearances from the European Commission and United States Food and Drug Administration,. We have already used it for our popular series of tea makers Tea Control™, so when we designed the Traveler Zita™, it was an obvious choice for this tumbler too.

"By using leaf tea, Traveler Zita™ is the 'green' alternative to tea bags with their inherent packaging waste."

The new finum® Traveler Zita™ comprises a 0.3l / 10fl.oz double-wall tumbler and its Tea Control™ Kit, both made of Eastman Tritan™ copolyester. Available in three translucent colors, apple green, ruby red and anthracite, the lid resembles a tea cup for easy drinking while the tumbler is closed. The insulated walls of the tumbler make it suitable for hot and cold drinks and the new Corkmec™ seals the spout while on the move.

The ingenious design of the removable Tea Control™ Kit allows the tea lover to insert loose tea leaves of his choice, then add boiling water and let it brew to perfection. By closing the lid the tea leaves are trapped within the tumbler's Tea Control™ mechanism, thereby slowing down the brewing process and keeping the tea as tasty and warm as possible.

For a refill, just re-open Traveler Zita™ and add more boiling water. The Tea Control™ Kit also keeps the leaves together for easy disposal (in a 'green' recycling bin, naturally).

Ascan Wendt, Product Manager of finum®, was impressed by Eastman Chemical Company's exhaustive testing of Tritan™ copolyester. The tests demonstrated its resistance to heating and cooling, as well as kitchen conditions and detergents including multiple washing and drying cycles in commercial and domestic dishwashers. In these tests, Tritan™ showed continued resistance to hazing and stress cracking, and excellent retention of toughness and shatter-proof characteristics.

TU/e Researchers Succeed in Creating Plastic that Emits Light When Pulled

Scientists at TU/e for the first time succeeded in creating a plastic that emits light when pulled. The researchers can make the plastic emit red, yellow, blue and green light. The results were published online in Nature Chemistry this week.

The researchers incorporate an additional element in the plastic molecules, a molecular ring called dioxetane. When the plastic is pulled hard enough, the ring breaks open and emits light.The plastic only gives light as long as it is pulled. When the plastic is completely torn apart, a flash of light is seen because a lot of molecular rings break at the same time.

Tensile strength:The research has mainly been driven by fundamental scientific questions. The researchers were looking for possibilities of mechanical forces to unlock new types of chemistry, says Professor of Supramolecular Polymer Chemistry Rint Sijbesma.However, he does see a very suitable application of the invention. The transmitted light makes it possible to very accurately see where, when and how polymers break. In this way the collapse behavior of polymers can be studied in detail.

Luminous rods are different:The principle is quite different, by the way, from that of the luminous rods that are used at concerts, et cetera. When these rods are bent and broken inside, two liquids mix, creating a new chemical substance. This material starts to fall apart spontaneously, at the same time emitting light.

DSM's TeXtreme® Carbon Fabric with Turane Resins Finds Application in Olympic Rowing Boat

DSM has been working with the Dutch Olympic Team, applying their material expertise in order to make the best rowing boat possible for the London Olympics 2012. To achieve this they turned to TeXtreme® Spread Tow Fabrics as the choice of carbon reinforcement. The result is a faster boat as a direct consequence of reduced weight and increased stiffness.

Edwin Hendriks, Project Manager Building, Infrastructure and Sport at DSM comments: "To improve the performance of the Dutch Olympic rowing boat, we used TeXtreme® carbon fabric in combination with DSM's styrene-free Turane resins. The interaction between these two is exceptionally strong. This resulted in an increased rigidity (25% more stiffness) and a lower weight of the boat, allowing for a different construction that increased the stiffness even more. The new boat deforms less in the water at every powerful stroke of the rowers, and as such can better maintain its speed."

In the months leading up to London 2012, DSM applied their expertise in materials on improving the boats for the Dutch rowing teams. DSM cooperated with the Dutch Rowing Federation and the Olympic Team Netherlands in developing this special eight man rowing boat "Olympic eight".

Clearly one of the key elements of any rowing race is having the best boat, it is a vital component for any crew with ambitions. Building on their experience from previous Olympic innovations such as the 470-class sailing boat for Beijing 2008, DSM partnered with German boat builder Empacher. By using each other's strengths together with the unique mechanical properties of TeXtreme®, they developed the best boat possible.

Using DSMs Turane resins, one important goal was to improve the stiffness of the boat, making it better equipped to handle the rigors of a race. By combining it with TeXtreme® Spread Tow carbon fiber fabrics the stiffness of the hull has been increased up to 25%, reducing the energy loss of each stroke and thus increasing the speed.

The increased stiffness reduces the amount of energy that gets lost due to deformation of the hull, a common issue in the sport as the boats are not fully capable of withstanding the enormous amount of force unleashed by the crew during every single stroke. Reducing the deformation of the hull means that the crew can better build up and maintain speed.

Gucci Launches Eco-friendly, Sustainable Soles Made of Biodegradable Plastics

Gucci is pleased to announce the launch of Sustainable Soles, a special edition of eco-friendly women's and men's shoes designed by Creative Director Frida Giannini and part of the Prefall 2012 Collection. This new project conveys the House's mission to interpret in a responsible way the modern consumer's desire for sustainable fashion products, all the while maintaining the balance between the timeless values of style and utmost quality with an ever-growing green vision.

The Sustainable Soles include the Marola Green ballerinas for her and the California Green sneakers for him, both realized in bio-plastic — a biodegradable material in compost used as an alternative to petrochemical plastic.

Use of Lightweight Plastics in EVs Will Drive Penetration Rates & Growth, Forecasts Frost & Sullivan

With the electric vehicle (EV) production set to grow at a CAGR of over 80 per cent until 2017, plastics used in these vehicles will also see a tremendous growth. The need to increase EV mile range, paralleled by the inherent advantages of plastics — particularly that of lightweight — will drive penetration rates.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Strategic Analysis of Plastics in the Electric Vehicles Market in Europe and North America, finds that the market earned revenues of $ 0.5 million in 2010 and estimates this to reach $ 73 million in 2017. The research covers power train plastics, battery casing plastics, thermal management system materials and wire and cable plastic materials.

As the electric vehicles market takes off, it is set to have a positive ripple effect on the uptake of plastics.

"Plastics for EVs are driven by light weighting trends which, in turn, are fuelled by the need to improve EV mile range," notes Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Shree Vidhyaa Karunanidhi. "EVs are typically characterized by huge batteries which add to the overall weight of the vehicle and affect the mile range. To compensate for the battery weight, metals are increasingly being substituted by plastic."

Important structural components such as gears and motors are made of metal. Strength and crash-resistance requirements indicate that metals will remain the preferred material for these applications. However, plastics have huge potential in some of the minor, non-moving components such as energy recovery devices, cooling pipes, pumps, fans, casing materials.

The current level of penetration of plastics in these components varies. In the case of cooling pipes and fans, plastics are preferred, whereas for other components such as energy recovery devices (pedal and pump) and casing materials, plastics have low to moderate penetration. The inherent features of plastics are, nonetheless, set to push their rapid growth rate in these segments.

"The reduced scope for plastics in EVs in comparison to conventional, gasoline-fuelled vehicles poses a major restraint to market prospects," cautions Shree Vidhyaa. "EU end-of-life vehicle (ELV) recycling legislation, which entails the use of recyclable materials, poses another challenge to market participants."

Although thermoplastics used in these cars are recyclable, automotive shredders are typically made up of different type of plastics. These need to be sorted out before they are recyclable.

Therefore, on the one hand there is a need to lightweight cars to improve the mile range in EVs. On the other hand, ELV recycling legislation requires the OEMs to use recyclable materials.

"This issue can be solved if OEMs work with tier-1 suppliers to develop recycling technologies," advises Shree Vidhyaa. "This will ensure sustainable use of plastics in the long-term."

Strategic Analysis of Plastics in the Electric Vehicles Market in Europe and North America is part of the Chemicals & Materials Growth Partnership Service programme, which also includes research in the following markets: Supply Chain Analysis of the Automotive Carbon Fiber Composites Market and Prevalent Substitution Trends within Materials and Chemicals in Automotive Light weighting. All research included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.