Environmental Technology: Bioderived Polyethylene

Overview

This document provides information on bioderived polyethylene, a type of recyclable plastic. It includes educational activities and resources, aimed at advancing knowledge and understanding of the production and environmental impact of bioderived polyethylene.

Key Topics

• Differences between traditional and bioderived polyethylene
• Production process of bioderived polyethylene using sugar cane
• Environmental impacts and carbon neutrality concerns

Activities

Activity 1

• Objective: Create a presentation comparing traditional polyethylene and bioderived polyethylene.
• Resources:
  1. How to make a polythene bag
  2. Sugarcane products and bioplastics

Activity 2

• Parts:
  • Describe the use of sugar cane in producing polyethylene.
  • Explain why bioderived polyethylene is not carbon neutral and its environmental implications.

Additional Resource

• Real-life applications of polymers
  • Discusses the characteristics and applications of polyethylene and other polymers.

Polyethylene Types

• LDPE: Low-Density Polyethylene
• HDPE: High-Density Polyethylene
• Note: Polyethylene is not biodegradable, leading to environmental concerns.
• Recycling is straightforward, but biodegradable alternatives are preferable.

Bioderived Polyethylene (BPE)

Learning Outcomes

Students should be able to describe the manufacturing process of BPE:

• Process:
  • Ethanol from fermented agricultural feedstocks (e.g., corn, sugar cane) is converted to ethylene.
  • Ethylene is polymerized into polyethylene via addition polymerization, similar to traditional polyethylene production.
• Characteristics:
  • Chemically and physically identical to traditional polyethylene.
  • Not biodegradable but recyclable.

Environmental Considerations

• Energy Use:
  • Production does not directly use crude oil.
  • Most energy used in production likely comes from non-renewable sources.
  • Smaller carbon footprint, but not carbon neutral or necessarily environmentally friendly.

Conclusion

Bioderived polyethylene presents an alternative to traditional plastics by utilizing renewable resources, though questions about energy efficiency and environmental impact remain.