【Ten Years of Great Progress in Chemical Technology】Successful pilot production of bio-based furan polyester fibers from 2018 to 2023

Thread Content

Looking at the development of chemical technology over the past decade, we praise the prosperity and strength of modern China. This is just a starting point to encourage further discussion among everyone; with your participation, things will become even more interesting. [Ten Years of Progress in Chemical Equipment] – A continuously updated summary thread; feel free to join the discussions: https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html. It is important to enhance quality awareness and promote high-quality development. ----------------------------------------- Bio-based furan polyesters are a type of polyester obtained by polymerizing 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) as the diacid monomer. As a 100% bio-based monomer, FDCA can be extracted from biomass sources such as corn, non-grain crops, straw, and wood chips. In 2004, it was identified by the U.S. Department of Energy as one of the most valuable bio-based platform chemicals for the 21st century. Due to its aromatic heterocyclic structure, it is also considered the most promising aromatic bio-based monomer that could replace terephthalic acid. Recently, the pilot production of bio-based furan polyester fiber, as part of the collaboration between Zhongke Guosheng and Tongkun New Materials Research Institute, was a success. This mid-term trial run is an important milestone for the project, and it represents a key step toward enabling bio-based furan polyester to be used in the fiber and textile industries. In December 2022, Zhongke Guosheng and Tongkun New Materials Research Institute officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement to jointly develop bio-based furan polyester fibers. After half a year of pilot tests, as well as more than a dozen batches of polymerization and spinning trials, the spinnability of the bio-based furan polyester PEF has been basically verified. **The Guidelines for Scientific and Technological Development in the textile industry during the 14th Five-Year Plan period also specify furandicarboxylic acid and polyethylene terephthalate fiber as key common technologies that require significant breakthroughs during this period. At present, the applications of bio-based furan polyesters are mainly focused on food and beverage packaging, as well as medical supplies, where high requirements exist for properties such as barrier performance and heat resistance; they are not yet used in the fiber and textile industries.