Polyethylene Furanoate is abbreviated by PEF. Polyethylene Furanoate or PEF is a polymer that can be produced by polycondensation. FDCA is the building block of Polyethylene Furanoate.
PEF is an aromatic polyester made of ethylene glycol and is a chemical analogue of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyethylene naphthalate (PEN).
PEF exists since 1951 and has gained renewed attention since the US department of energy proclaimed its building block, FDCA, as a potential bio-based replacement for purified terephthalic acid (PTA) in 2004.
Polyethylene Furanoate PEF is the polyester of the future and a real 100% bio-based alternative to petroleum-based PET.
It offers superior barrier and thermal properties and makes it the ideal material for a wide range of applications. PEF finds applications in the packaging industry for alcoholic beverages, fruit juices, milk, soft drinks, fresh tea or water.
One life-cycle assessment showed that replacing PTA in the production of PET by bio-based FDCA for the production of PEF has a potential for significant reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and non-renewable energy use (NREU).
PEF exhibits also an intrinsically higher gas barrier for oxygen, carbon dioxide and water vapor than PET and can therefore be considered an interesting alternative for packaging applications such as bottles, films and food trays.
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