Virent to Present at BioPlastek 2011 Forum

June 10, 2011 - PRLog -- Virent to Present at BioPlastek 2011 Forum


The major hurdle to making a 100% renewable PET bottle has been the lack of a cost-
effective process for producing plant-based purified terephthalic acid (PTA).  Although
some have reportedly converted biomass directly to aromatic intermediates (including
para-xylene, the precursor to PTA ), this was achieved only at the laboratory level.  

That may have all changed with the announcement earlier this week that Virent had
successfully made para-xylene from 100% renewable plant sugars in a 10,000 gal/year
demonstration plant.  Because the conversion of para-xylene to PTA is widely utilized
commercial chemistry, in effect, the bio-based para-xylene paves the way for production
of a100% plant-based PET bottle.  

In its first presentation since the announcement, details of this remarkable achievement
will be presented by Virent in a late addition to the BioPlastek 2011 program.  The
Forum takes place on June 27-29 at The Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.  For details, visit http://bioplastek.com

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Organizers of international technical and business oriented conferences on bioplastics, biopolymers and sustainable packaging