Pine Chemicals for Renewable and Sustainable Plastic

For the last decade, plastics have been seen as the bane of nature. Since most of them are made out of petroleum, a fossil-based oil, most industries started to leave them behind in the effort to be more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Taking matters into their hands, researchers managed to develop a potential biobased plastic from pine trees. Here are a few works, that showcased pine trees’ potential as a material for biobased plastics.

Plastic from Resin from rosin and turpentine

In 2013, Chuangbing Tang from the University of South Carolina is developing plastic made out of natural resins found in pine trees. Rosin and turpentine derived from pine tree wood contain an abundant amount of hydrocarbon. Through polymerization, hydrocarbon-rich materials can be converted into many forms of what are commonly called “plastics”.

Tang reported that wood products’ molecules are lucrative materials, for they are a rich source of cycloaliphatic and aromatic structures. Those traits are known to make polymerization work well. Since the ingredient used is a renewable one this biobased plastic would be a material that should break down more readily in the environment.

3-carene in turpentine oil as building blocks for polyamide

Polyamide, known as nylon, is a common plastic utilized for manufacturing end-use parts. Thus far, polyamide is mainly produced from crude oil, but in 2018, biobased polyamide from turpentine oil was developed. The development was commenced by the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB. The team found that 3-carene, a component of turpentine oil, can be converted into building blocks for biobased plastics. In the production of cellulose from wood, turpentine oil is the by-product that is usually incinerated for the most part.

Aside from the basic material that can be considered a cost-effective one, for it is a by-product, another prominent feature of the innovation is that the synthesis of 3-carene was done in a single reactor where the reaction sequence takes place. Paul Stockman, one of the developers, claimed that 3-carene would be converted into lactams, building blocks for the production of polyamides, with no toxic or environmentally hazardous chemicals required for the process. The team also reported that the process delivers 100 grams of pure lactam monomer per production run, which was quite sufficient for the initial investigation of the competitive process on a potentially industrial scale.

Moreover, the biobased polyamide produced is predominantly amorphous and transparent, which makes it suitable as protective shields, for example in visors or ski goggles. They also have eminent thermal properties, which are 110°C for the glass transition and suited to be exposed to high temperatures, for instance as components in the engine compartment of motor vehicles. In addition, the 3-carene in this biobased polyamide prevents discoloration due to UV light influence since they do not possess aromatic domains.

Turning Alpha pinene into biobased plastic

While in 2021, Justin Kennemur from Florida State University (FSU) discovered material from alpha-pinene that owns structural features similar to the plastics commonly used on daily basis. Alpha-pinene is the amplest molecule found in pine sap, which is known to be rather tough to be converted into plastic. But the team from FSU managed to synthesize it through sequences of chemical reactions and purification to obtain delta-pinene. After polymerization, delta-pinene will turn into poly-delta-pinene, the resultant plastic.

Tests were done to analyze the material’s characteristics and mechanical properties. It was reported that the material is glassy, thermally stable, and capable to be melted and shaped at higher temperatures as well as cooled into hard plastic at ambient temperatures. Currently, the team is investigating its chemical recyclability.

?Not only testifying to the pine-derived chemicals’ potential, but those discoveries also add up to a bright future for its market. In accordance with the report done by MarketsandMarkets, the global pine-derived chemicals market is estimated to be valued at USD 5.5 billion in 2022. With a CAGR of 4.5%, it is forecasted to reach USD 6.8 billion by 2027. The force that drives the market forward, is none other than the rising demand for biobased products. Pine-derived chemicals regularly serve as material to lower carbon footprint, and with the ongoing research, they likely would soon be utilized for bioplastics.

?Contributing to the growing market of pine-derived chemicals, Tradeasia International is here to provide our customers with various pine chemical products. Not only correspond with the pine industry, but Tradeasia International also offers a wide range of materials suited for other industries such as paint, food chemical, paper, and many more.

In order to serve a seamless supply chain experience, Tradeasia International optimized logistic services, especially ocean freight for containerized shipments supported by Sree Logistics .

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References:

Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB. (2022, September 16). 100 percent biobased, transparent, and thermally stable polyamide. Retrieved from https://phys.org/news/2018-08-percent-biobased-transparent-thermally-stable.html ??

Steven Powell. (2022, September 16). Turning pine sap into 'ever-green' plastics. Retrieved from https://phys.org/news/2013-02-sap-ever-green-plastics.html

Tom Morgan. (2022, September 16). Pine sap–based plastic: A potential gamechanger for future of sustainable materials Retrieved from https://phys.org/news/2021-07-sapbased-plastic-potential-gamechanger-future.html

MarketsandMarkets. (2022, September 16). Pine-Derived Chemicals Market by Type (TOFA, TOR, Gum Turpentine, Gum Rosin, Pitch, and Sterols), Application (Paints & Coatings, Adhesives & Sealants, Surfactants, and Printing Inks), Source, Process and Region - Global Forecast to 2027 Retrieved from https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/pine-derived-chemicals-market-36161841.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwmouZBhDSARIsALYcour91KE2YNIqwFFUUjTgMk9ey-K5hQlH30wu26yHBE3MdRfYNC2hLGkaAr82EALw_wcB ??