Made from fructose, FDME can be used to produce high-performing, renewable plastics. One of the first FDME-based polymers under development by DuPont is polytrimethylene furandicarboxyate (PTF), a novel polyester also made from DuPont’s biobased 1,3-propanediol. In bottling applications, PTF is a 100% biobased alternative to polyethylene terephthalate that enables lighter-weight, more sustainable, and better performing bottles.
“We’re confident FDME is both the more sustainable option and the better-for-business option,” says Michael Saltzberg, Ph.D., global business director for Biomaterials at DuPont Industrial Biosciences. “This molecule, and its numerous applications, will be high-performing, cost-effective and better for the environment. ADM’s expertise in agricultural value chains and the chemistry of carbohydrates makes them the best possible business partner on this initiative. Our goal is to bring this game-changing technology to commercial scale as quickly as possible.”