Polyethylene furan-2,5-dicarboxylate

Polyethylene furan-2,5-dicarboxylate, also named poly(ethylene furan-2,5-dicarboxylate), polyethylene furanoate and poly(ethylene furanoate) and generally abbreviated as PEF, is a polymer that can be produced by polycondensation or ring-opening polymerization of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and ethylene glycol.^[2][3] As an aromatic polyester from ethylene glycol it is a chemical analogue of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyethylene naphthalate (PEN). PEF has been described in (patent) literature since 1951,^[4] but 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.^[5]

Polyethylene furan-2,5-dicarboxylate

Names
Other names Polyethylene furanoate; Polyethylene furandicarboxylate; Poly(ethylene furanoate)
Identifiers
CAS Number	28728-19-0
Properties
Chemical formula	(C8H6O5)n
Molar mass	Variable
Density	1.43 g/cm3[1][2]
Melting point	195–265 °C (383–509 °F; 468–538 K)[1]
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). Infobox references

Benefits over PET

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).^[6] Furthermore, PEF exhibits an intrinsically higher gas barrier for oxygen,^[7] carbon dioxide^[8] and water vapor^[9] than PET and is therefore an interesting alternative for packaging applications such as bottles, films and food trays.