Good news from the Bayer labs: research into carbon dioxide as a new raw material for making plastics is delivering further successes. Tests show that less and less petroleum – the conventional raw material – needs to be used. Meanwhile, the amount of crude oil needed to produce certain plastics has been reduced to only 60 per cent. Other activities using CO2 are already moving toward commercial use – see our new video. In the Dream Polymers research project, carbon dioxide is used twice. First, the greenhouse gas is incorporated directly into a new kind of chemical precursor for plastics, replacing 20 percent of the petroleum. Second, it is also used indirectly, producing another chemical that is incorporated into the precursor as well for a further 20 percent saving in petroleum. As a result, the proportion of alternative raw materials is already 40 percent. In addition, the number of plastics that can be produced using carbon dioxide is increasing. In the lab, it is now possible to manufacture thermoplastic polyurethanes, films and casting elastomers in this way. Such plastics are used in various kinds of applications, including automotive interiors, cable sheathing and sporting goods such as ski boots.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Sep 2014 07:40:25 +0000
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