AIChE Journal Highlight: Reviewing Recent Advances in Biobased Materials and Value-Added Chemicals

The chemical industry is at a crossroads, facing the challenge of transitioning from fossil-based feedstocks to a carbon-neutral economy. In the September AIChE Journal Perspective article, “Recent Advances in Biobased Materials and Value-Added Chemicals,” Simanke et al. provide an insightful review of the potential pathways toward this transition. The paper discusses the utilization of biomass feedstocks as a key resource and a viable alternative for an economy less dependent on fossil inputs.

Biomass feedstocks are becoming increasingly important for the chemical process industries (CPI), offering a renewable alternative to fossil-based counterparts. The authors, comprising a group of scientists and engineers from Braskem, emphasize the need for judicious selection of feedstocks and targeted chemicals. Challenges in the field of new biobased materials and chemicals are driven by performance constraints and economic factors. Therefore, a strong focus on atom management and oxygen preservation is paramount for successfully implementing biomass as feedstocks and producing biobased compounds. The authors also highlight the need for the CPI to focus on new products and chemistries, which will be essential to finding the right balance...