Chinese scientists develop EG from biomass

Chinese scientists have successfully trialed the industrial production of bio-ethylene glycol from the sugars of straws, which will potentially replace petroleum or coal as raw materials, with a production capacity of 1,000 metric tons annually, experts say.

Ethylene glycol is an important chemical raw material with a global annual consumption of more than 30 million tons, said Zheng Mingyuan, a researcher at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"In China, as a major producer and consumer of EG, the annual consumption exceeds 20 million tons. EG is used as a primary raw material for making clothing fibers, plastic products like beverage bottles and many more," he said.

Professor He Mingyuan from East China Normal University mentioned that previously, EG was mainly produced using petroleum or coal as raw materials, which are nonrenewable resources. The production process resulted in high carbon dioxide emissions and energy consumption.

"In terms of resource utilization, biomass is the only organic carbon source that has the potential to replace fossil fuels. With new technologies that can change the energy system, I feel very excited," He said, who is also an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

He emphasized that the effective utilization of biomass is crucial to green and sustainable development, which scientists have been addressing after recognizing the energy value of biomass.

"The transformation of living organisms into fossil fuels and then used by humans is a large carbon cycle. Processing and utilizing biomass bypasses this cycle. For example, agricultural straw can be directly utilized, forming a short loop that enhances energy efficiency," he said, adding that biomass, as a renewable energy source, can be endless.

As early as 2008, the team led by Zhang Tao at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics pioneered the new reaction of directly catalyzing cellulose to produce EG internationally. This technology has obtained over 40 authorized invention patents and possesses completely independent intellectual property rights.

"This provides an important technological solution for upgrading the EG industry chain and the development of the green chemical industry in China. It is of great significance for environmental protection, achieving China's dual carbon goals and sustainable economic development," said Zhang, also an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Over 16 years, the research team continued to improve the long-term stability of the catalyst, expand the range of raw materials and reduce production costs, finally transforming this technology from a scientific discovery in the laboratory to a technology suitable for industrial production.

Zheng mentioned that currently, the cost of bio-EG produced from bio-based raw materials through catalysis is about one time more expensive than traditional coal-based production but has higher purity and better quality.

The product purity reaches 99.9 percent, and the ultraviolet transmittance meets the national standard for polyester-grade EG.

"The technical verification at the thousand-ton level can eliminate potential issues in mass production and serve as the basis for designing industrial plants at the ten-thousand-ton level. This technological breakthrough means that the technical preparation for a ten-thousand-ton industrial production is now in place," Zheng said.