Brazil firm claims green polyethylene first
6 Jul 2007
Braskem studies project for commercial production of plastic made from ethanol starting in 2009
London -- Brazian polymer company Braskem claims to have developed and produced the world's first internationally certified polyethylene made from sugarcane ethanol. The polymer was certified as containing 100% renewable raw materials by Beta Analytic, an international certification laboratory.
The high-density polyethylene is the product of a $5-million R&D project, which included establishing a pilot unit for the production of bio-derived ethane feedstock for the production of polyethylene. This unit is already producing sufficient quantities for commercial development of the product, the company said.
The project is now in technical and economic specification process and the startup of green polyethylene production on an industrial scale is expected in late 2009, said Braskem CEO José Carlos Grubisich. The new unit at a soon to be chosen location, will have modern technology and competitive scale, and could reach a capacity of up to 200 ktpa, he added.
