Corn is useful in the chemical industry

2001/11/26 Elhuyar Zientzia

• Industria
• Nekazaritza
• Energia berriztagarriak

The human being has long used corn as food, either in the form of cobs or processed, such as oils, flours, pallets of breakfast or other derived foods. In addition, it is one of the most used raw materials in the manufacture of livestock feed. Now, through the catalytic process presented by the chemical engineers of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, it can also be used to obtain a chemical present in the antifreeze of vehicles and liquid detergents.

Polypropyl glycol is obtained from oil and is widely used around the world, for example in the US they spend more than 450 tons a year. The new process will allow the use of a renewable source with an important process market. In fact, the technology presented achieves greater efficiency and reduces the appearance of secondary products.

The process begins with the fermentation of glucose from corn. In this way, lactic acid is obtained. After the separation and purification of the acid, polypropyl glycol is obtained by means of a copper catalyst in the area with hydrogen. According to the engineers, to date oil for industrial uses was extracted from agricultural products, so it is part of the bases that have been known for 70 years to take that step.