This project aims to synthesize new plastic material from soybean gallic acid (GA) via reaction polymerization between ethylene glycol and soybean GA. This method will produce a green polyester containing alternating polymers and will be similar to polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and other polymers, which are ubiquitous in commercial plastic manufacturing. These green materials have promising characteristics that will allow them to be used as coating resins in beverage bottles. The proposed polymer will be commercially competitive due to its low-cost and short duration production process. The proposed research also aims to establish if a new production method capable of overcoming the limitations associated with the commercialization and industrial applications of green PET can be successfully achieved. Our team is confident that synthesizing the new polymer by polymerization between ethylene glycol and precursors derived from soybean GA offers the opportunity to produce a wide variety of new plastics. Additionally, recent advances in new catalytic processes for converting GA will allow us to design more technically effective and inexpensive synthesis methods for green PET monomers, such as reacting soybean GA with glycerol, which is used in high-value applications in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Lastly, new plastics produced from sustainable feedstocks, such as soybean GA, have attracted considerable interest as an alternative to petroleum-based analogs since society has become more dependent on plastics, and there are concerns about sustainability. In this regard, synthesizing plastic by polymerization creates an opportunity to produce a wide variety of new plastics.

This project aims to use green polymers developed at the University of North Dakota, chemical engineering department to aid in PET plastic replacement and serve as new green plastics through:
1. Reacting soybean GA with ethylene glycerol.
2. Reacting soybean GA with glycerol.
3. Creating a simple solvent-free method using non-toxic starting materials.

The synthesis of new green plastics via renewable, sustainable, cost-effective, non-toxic, and solvent-free means will render the production process scalable and commercially competitive. This project will also generate data for one UND graduate student’s dissertation, after which it will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at an appropriate conference.

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Updated June 26, 2024:

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Soybean production revenues in ND averaged $2.3 billion from 2018 to 20202. Soybean GA could quickly and significantly increase North Dakota farmer economies, allowing farmers to diversify offerings and mitigate issues related to tough growing seasons and trade wars. This project will directly benefit ND soybean farmers by producing new plastics directly from soybean GA to increase the soybean market value.