Worldwide efforts have increased greatly to identify polymeric building blocks that are not derived from fossil fuels and to employ these monomers to create polymers that readily degrade in natural environments. We have developed novel methods for synthesizing linear thermoplastic polymers from a variety of biogenic feedstocks, including sugars, triglycerides, lignin, and C1 feedstocks obtained from trees. This presentation describes the synthesis and characterization of a new class of biorenewable polyester thermoplastic that resembles the aliphatic polyester polyglycolic acid (PGA). However, our preparation is much less expensive since it circumvents the multistep production of glycolic acid glycolide currently necessary for PGA synthesis and it avoids fermentation technology upon which polylactic acid (PLA) production depends. Instead, wood or agricultural wastes (non-food resources) can be sustainably converted to the simple C1 feedstocks necessary for production, which are formaldehyde and carbon monoxide�both readily obtained from methanol (bio-methanol, wood alcohol).

Polyesters from biomethanol

247th National Meeting (2014)

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