Upcycling of Agricultural Waste Stream to High‐Molecular‐Weight Bio‐based Poly(ethylene 2,5‐furanoate)

Orange peel and sugar beet pulp contain large quantities of pectin, which can be turned via galactaric acid into furan dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and its esters. In this work, we show the polymerisation of these FDCA esters into high-molecular-weight, 70–100 kg/mol, poly(ethylene 2,5-furanoate) (PEF). PEF is an emerging bio-based alternative for poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), widely used in for example packaging applications. Closing the loop, we also demonstrated and confirmed that PEF can be hydrolysed by enzymes, which are known to hydrolyse PET, back into FDCA for convenient recycling and recovery of monomers

Synthesis of furandicarboxylic acid from aldaric acid

According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided an energy efficient and environmentally benign method for producing furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and furandicarboxylic acid esters (FDCAE) from aldaric acid esters.Patent family as of 25.1.2024EP4277900 A1 20231122 EP20220701002 20220114 FI130511 B 20231018 FI20210005049 20210115FI20215049 A 20220716 FI20210005049 20210115WO22152975 A1 20220721 WO2022FI50025 20220114</div

Production of 2,5‐furandicarboxylic acid methyl esters from pectin‐based aldaric acid:From laboratory to bench scale

2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is one of the most attractive emerging renewable monomers, which has gained interest especially in polyester applications, such as the production of polyethylene furanoate (PEF). Recently, the attention has shifted towards FDCA esters due to their better solubility as well as the easier purification and polymerisation compared to FDCA. In our previous work, we reported the synthesis of FDCA butyl esters by dehydration of aldaric acids as stable intermediates. Here, we present the synthesis of FDCA methyl esters in high yields from pectin-based galactaric acid using a solid acid catalyst. The process enables high substrate concentrations (up to 20 wt%) giving up to 50 mol% FDCA methyl esters with total furancarboxylates yields of up to 90 mol%. The synthesis was successfully scaled up from gram-scale to kilogram-scale in batch reactors showing the feasibility of the process. The stability of the catalyst was tested in re-use experiments. Purification of the crude product by vacuum distillation and precipitation gave furan-2,5-dimethylcarboxylate with a 98% purity

Synthesis of furandicarboxylic acid and ester thereof

According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided both a continuous method and a batch method for producing furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and furandicarboxylic acid ester (FDCAE) from aldaric acid ester by utilizing cheap and available catalysts and bio-based solvents in an efficient manner.Patent family as of 27.12.2021FI128987 B 20210430 FI20180006062 20181210      FI20186062 A 20200611 FI20180006062 20181210      WO20120835 A1 20200618 WO2019FI50876 20191209Link to current patent family on right </p