The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the week of May 10th, 2018

#3 DuPont, ADM cut the ribbon on FDME pilot plant

In Illinois, DuPont Industrial Biosciences and Archer Daniels Midland have opened their joint pilot plant for producing furan dicarboxylic methyl ester.

Made from fructose, FDME can be used to produce high-performing, renewable plastics.  One of the first FDME-based polymers under development by DuPont is polytrimethylene furandicarboxyate (PTF), a novel polyester also made from DuPont’s biobased 1,3-propanediol. In bottling applications, PTF is a 100% biobased alternative to polyethylene terephthalate that enables lighter-weight, more sustainable, and better performing bottles.