2008 Woodie Awards
Petroleum Power goes beyond Gas Tank
Professor Amanda Misner: Chemistry Department
Issue date: 1/24/08 Section: Sci/Tech
With gas prices rising ever higher, the decisions to drive less and buy a fuel-efficient vehicle are becoming common-sense wallet-conscious choices. But petroleum products are not just going into your gas tank - they can be found in detergents, packaging, grocery bags, medical devices and even your fuzzy fleece jacket. Materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyester, and nylon are just a few of the common plastics made from the parts of crude oil that don't go into gasoline. In the US, plastics account for about 10% of oil consumption, and although the increasing price of crude oil isn't immediately reflected in the consumer cost of plastic products, it has put a significant squeeze on the profits of the companies who produce them.
Chemical manufacturers are therefore starting to turn to renewable resources to generate energy and raw materials. In the 1930's, the switch from coal to petroleum as a cheaper (at that time) source of energy and materials caused a revolution in the chemical industry. Many new materials were invented, including plastics, which have significantly impacted our lives. Now, financial motivation arising from the price of crude oil has generated another flurry of innovation. If we are looking at the next revolution in organic material synthesis, then there will be many opportunities for scientists and engineers to shape the way we live.
A great deal of focus has been placed on corn as an eco-friendly replacement for crude oil, since there are massive efforts being made to optimize the conversion of corn starches to ethanol fuel using yeast fermentation. Unfortunately, the process itself requires significant energy input and produces copious amounts of Carbon Dioxide, both of which reduce the overall cost and environmental benefits. Furthermore, for the purposes of replacing petroleum-based materials, ethanol doesn't have strong potential to replace the highest-volume plastic feedstock, ethylene, because current technology to convert cornstarch to ethylene is too inefficient (only 65% of cornstarch carbon is converted to ethylene).
Chemical manufacturers are therefore starting to turn to renewable resources to generate energy and raw materials. In the 1930's, the switch from coal to petroleum as a cheaper (at that time) source of energy and materials caused a revolution in the chemical industry. Many new materials were invented, including plastics, which have significantly impacted our lives. Now, financial motivation arising from the price of crude oil has generated another flurry of innovation. If we are looking at the next revolution in organic material synthesis, then there will be many opportunities for scientists and engineers to shape the way we live.
A great deal of focus has been placed on corn as an eco-friendly replacement for crude oil, since there are massive efforts being made to optimize the conversion of corn starches to ethanol fuel using yeast fermentation. Unfortunately, the process itself requires significant energy input and produces copious amounts of Carbon Dioxide, both of which reduce the overall cost and environmental benefits. Furthermore, for the purposes of replacing petroleum-based materials, ethanol doesn't have strong potential to replace the highest-volume plastic feedstock, ethylene, because current technology to convert cornstarch to ethylene is too inefficient (only 65% of cornstarch carbon is converted to ethylene).
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