Fire Propagation Behavior of Some Biobased Furanic Compounds with a Focus on the Polymer PEF.

Avantium is in the process of building a flagship plant for the production of furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and the derived polyester polyethylene furanoate (PEF) using their YXY process. Because of the status of this development of monomer production, next to storage and shipping, polymer production, application development, and polymer recycling, the understanding of the safety aspects of the YXY process is key for a successful deployment of the technology. In this paper, the focus is on fire propagation-related issues for both monomeric furanic compounds and for the polymer PEF and results are compared with relevant reference materials. The current assessment addresses the fire initiation and propagation behavior of FDCA and PEF for the very first time. From the fire safety viewpoint, it can be concluded that of the furanics tested, FDCA has a better safety margin both in terms of a lower thermal and chemical threat, as fires resulting from FDCA are not easily shifting toward underventilated fire scenarios. The obtained results with the PEF polymer are useful in understanding the nature and behavior of PEF under real fire conditions. PEF seems slightly better in terms of the total energy released from the combustion process than the bulk polyester PET. In addition, PEF fires result in lesser CO and soot yields compared to PET, which is proof for a better completeness of combustion.

The Road to Bring FDCA and PEF to the Market.

Biobased polymers and materials are desperately needed to replace fossil-based materials in the world's transition to a more sustainable lifestyle. In this article, Avantium describes the path from invention towards commercialization of their YXY® plants-to-plastics Technology, which catalytically converts plant-based sugars into FDCA-the chemical building block for PEF (polyethylene furanoate). PEF is a plant-based, highly recyclable plastic, with superior performance properties compared to today's widely used petroleum-based packaging materials. The myriad of topics that must be addressed in the process of bringing a new monomer and polymer to market are discussed, including process development and application development, regulatory requirements, IP protection, commercial partnerships, by-product valorisation, life cycle assessment (LCA), recyclability and circular economy fit, and end-of-life. Advice is provided for others considering embarking on a similar journey, as well as an outlook on the next, exciting steps towards large-scale production of FDCA and PEF at Avantium's Flagship Plant and beyond.