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Crude replacement: This Brazilian sugarcane could supersede oil for making plastic.  Credit: Dow Chemical

Making plastic from sugar can be just as cheap as making it from petroleum, says Dow Chemical. The company plans to build a plant in Brazil that it says will be the world's largest facility for making polymers from plants.

The project will begin with the construction of a 240-million-liter ethanol plant, a joint venture with Mitsui, that is set to begin later this year. By the beginning of next year, Dow will finish engineering plans for facilities that will convert that ethanol into hundreds of thousands of metric tons of polyethylene, the world's most widely used plastic.

 

To read the full, original article click on this link: Cheap Plastic Made from Sugarcane - Technology Review

Author: KEVIN BULLIS