Towards Sustainable Production of Polybutylene Adipate Terephthalate: Non‐Biological Catalytic Syntheses of Biomass‐Derived Constituents

Abstract

AbstractRenewable chemicals, which are made from renewable resources such as biomass, have attracted significant interest as substitutes for natural gas‐ or petroleum‐derived chemicals to enhance the sustainability of the chemical and petrochemical industries. Polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), which is a copolyester of 1,4‐butanediol (1,4‐BDO), adipic acid (AA), and dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) or terephthalic acid (TPA), has garnered significant interest as a biodegradable polymer. This study assesses the non‐biological production of PBAT monomers from biomass feedstocks via heterogeneous catalytic reactions. The biomass‐based catalytic routes to each monomer are analyzed and compared to conventional routes. Although no fully commercialized catalytic processes for direct conversion of biomass into 1,4‐BDO, AA, DMT, and TPA are available, emerging and promising catalytic routes have been proposed. The proposed biomass‐based catalytic pathways toward 1,4‐BDO, AA, DMT, and TPA are not yet fully competitive with conventional fossil fuel‐based pathways mainly due to high feedstock prices and the existence of other alternatives. However, given continuous technological advances in the renewable production of PBAT monomers, bio‐based PBAT should be economically viable in the near future.