2023-10-18 10:44:01
Straw contains lignocellulose, the raw material for furfural. Chemists now know how they can use it to produce raw materials for medicines. Image: dpa
Most chemicals are made from petroleum. In order to change that, new processes must be developed. An important step has now been achieved.
The chemical industry still largely uses fossil raw materials to produce chemicals, plastics or active ingredients. In 2020, that was 14.3 million tons of petroleum and petroleum products as well as 2.8 million tons of natural gas and 0.3 million tons of coal, not counting fossil fuels for electricity and heat generation. In order to become climate neutral, the industry must convert its raw material base to renewable sources – the industry currently processes around 2.6 million tons of raw materials from renewable sources.
In 2004, the US Department of Energy for the first time listed ten substances, referred to as platform chemicals, that can be easily produced from renewable raw materials and are suitable as starting materials for chemical production. These platform chemicals include furfural, a substance obtained from wood scraps and other lignocellulosic waste such as straw.
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