RENEWABLE FEEDSTOCKS: TRADING BARRELS FOR BUSHELS

Renewable feedstock is witnessing popularity in the chemical process industries (CPI) since it can be easily converted in to basic building block chemicals and can serve as the interim feedstock for production of value added chemicals, monomers, and polymers. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has identified 12 platform chemicals that can be produced from sugars via biological or chemical routes. Levulinic acid (LA), a diverse platform chemical that contains five carbon compounds, is largely used in manufacture of adhesives, rubber, plastics, and synthetic fiber products. Chemical companies are developing and commercializing processes to manufacture epichlorohydrin which is high volume commodity chemical and is largely used in the synthesis of epoxy resins. Corn sugar and glycerin are used in the manufacture of 1,3-propanediol (PDO), a premium price intermediate used in the production of polymers, cosmetics, liquid detergents, and de-icing and heat transfer fluids.