A machine that converts wood-based materials into bio-based chemical feedstock / Courtesy of the National Institute of Forest Science
Korean researchers have discovered a way to transform common forest debris into a key ingredient for high-performance plastics, a development that could significantly reduce the environmental toll of the packaging and automotive industries.
By using a new, low-energy method to process discarded wood, scientists at the National Institute of Forest Science achieved an efficiency rate of 99 percent in creating a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based chemicals. The process, which operates at room temperature using light and electricity, offers a potential blueprint for a green manufacturing sector that relies on trees rather than fossil fuels.
The process centers on converting hydroxymethylfurfural — a compound derived from wood under high temperature and pressure — into FDCA, or furandicarboxylic acid, a key building block for next-generation bioplastics. Traditionally, that transformation requires substantial energy input and harsh chemical conditions. The Korean team, however, used a photoelectrochemical catalyst, powered by a combination of light and low-voltage electricity, to drive the reaction at room temperature.
The team reported a yield of 99.21 percent, an efficiency rate that nears the theoretical limit for industrial chemical reactions. Such precision is a critical hurdle for the commercial viability of green chemistry, which often struggles with waste byproducts.
The resulting FDCA can be polymerized to create polyethylene furanoate (PEF). As a high-performance alternative to the ubiquitous PET (polyethylene terephthalate) used in global packaging, PEF is also applicable in automotive components, textiles and adhesives. Beyond reducing fossil fuel reliance, the institute noted that the method effectively "locks" carbon absorbed by trees into durable materials, offering a dual-pronged strategy for achieving carbon neutrality in manufacturing.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
Source: Korea Times News
