Most polypropylene raw materials in the market are fossil fuels, which have potential health hazards during production and use. At the same time, the market price of crude oil fluctuates greatly, so the demand for bio-based polypropylene is gradually increasing.
Bio-based PP is made from bio-based propylene extracted from corn, biomass and vegetable oil. Bio-based polypropylene can be biaxially stretched into PP film by stretching and other means, which can be used as sustainable packaging material in food and other industries.
Recently, LG Chem signed a summer joint research and development (JDA) agreement with Gevo, an environmentally friendly fuel company in the United States. Agreement to commercialize the bio-based plastic biopropylene by 2026. Through this partnership, LG will provide technology for producing propylene from bioethanol and begin commercialization through joint R&D and plant construction.
Currently, corn and sugarcane fermented bioethanol material products are used. LG will be the first company in the world to commercialize bioethanol to propylene technology.
LG Chem explained that if it develops bio-based propylene, it will be able to provide customers with 100% bio-based products, which will reduce carbon emissions by more than 90% compared with existing products.