Under the global wave of low-carbon and environmental protection, bio-based materials have become a hot material due to their low-carbon, environmentally sustainable and environmentally friendly properties after disposal. TPU is one of the most widely used thermoplastic elastomers, and its bio-based development is not far behind.
html On June 17, Wanhua Chemical conducted in-depth research based on the bio-based integrated platform and launched a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (TPU) product made of 100% bio-based raw materials.
This bio-based TPU uses bio-based PDI (pentadimethyl diisocyanate) made from corn straw . Additives such as rice bran wax are also from non-food chain corn, grate and other renewable resources. With the advantages of resource conservation and renewable raw materials, can minimize the carbon emissions of end consumer products.
At the same time, this bio-based TPU also continues to empower the green transformation of shoes and apparel, films, consumer electronics, food contact and other fields with its excellent high strength, high toughness, oil resistance, anti-yellowing and other properties .
/Bio-based TPU manufacturing process/
Bio-based TPU, Some raw materials are derived from renewable natural resources (such as corn starch, wheat, potatoes, cellulose, etc.), using biological, chemical and physical methods, after refining, Made through fermentation, synthesis and other procedures.
Judging from some current public information, the common preparation route of bio-based TPU is to replace the main monomer part with a bio-based source , using renewable organisms, including crops, trees, other plants and their residues and The contents are raw materials, produced through biochemistry, physics and other methods. It has the advantages of low carbon, environmental protection, recyclability, light weight, durability and so on.
A common preparation method for bio-based TPU is to introduce bio-based monomers or intermediates during the polymerization process, such as bio-based isocyanates (such as MDI), bio-based polyols (such as BDO, propylene glycol), etc.
/Bio-based TPU environmental benefits/
•Save global petrochemical resources and use renewable raw materials instead
•Reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and economic development will not degrade the environment
•Pay attention to resource use efficiency, maximize the value of products and resources
•Can Continuous waste management, resource recycling and sustainable use
In recent years, international oil prices have fluctuated greatly, resulting in propylene and aniline prices fluctuating, the prices of volatile polyols and MDI have also changed greatly , these raw materials The price directly affects the profits of the traditional TPU industry. 's investment in developing the bio-based TPU market is expected to offset the fluctuations in crude oil prices, making production and operations highly controllable while reducing costs.
It is understood that the performance of bio-based TPU launched by major manufacturers is already comparable to that of traditional petrochemical TPU. The difference mainly lies in the level of bio-based content, which is generally 30%~40%, and some can achieve higher levels. , for example, Trinseo has a TPU grade with a biobased content of up to 64%. Compared with traditional petrochemical TPU, bio-based TPU has the advantages of carbon emission reduction, sustainable regeneration of raw materials, green production, and resource conservation..
Under the background of "double carbon" and sustainable development, the bio-based material industry and market are developing rapidly. According to predictions by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, at least 20% (about 800 billion U.S. dollars) of petrochemical products can be replaced by bio-based products in the next ten years. However, the current replacement rate is less than 5%, leaving a huge market gap. As a common thermoplastic elastomer, TPU's bio-based development process is naturally not far behind.
Article source: Elastomer Portal
