Much of what's in your medicine cabinet is made using planet-warming fuel sources such as petroleum. But Solugen, a Houston-based chemical manufacturing company, is looking to change that, according to MIT Technology Review.
The company has developed a process that uses the natural sugars inside corn to create certain chemicals instead of ingredients such as oil. The method involves deriving an enzyme from that sugar and then using a metal-based catalyst to turn it into chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide, gluconic acid, and glucaric acid. Applications for these products include treating wastewater, enhancing crop fertilizers, and curing cement, MIT Technology Review reported.
The best part is that this new way of creating chemicals uses and wastes less energy overall than the standard method. That could mean the resulting products are less expensive for people to buy in the long term. The primary reason is that the corn can be processed at much lower temperatures. The company also points to its reactors being more efficient, the outlet reported.
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Set strict regulations 🚫 Removing these pollutants from the equations of everyday products such as shampoos, plastic bottles, and first aid and industrial materials such as concrete is a major benefit. Globally, about 5% of planet-warming gases come from the trillion-dollar chemical industry.
Corn, on the other hand, actually sucks those harmful gases out of the air, the outlet explained.
For now, Solugen is limited to select chemicals. It cannot tackle the industry's big dogs — methanol, ethylene, and hydrogen — just yet, but going forward, it is looking to develop other starting materials that will open doors to other chemicals and their markets.
The Houston factory can currently ship 10,000 tons of material each year. It plans to double that capacity early this year and construct a second factory in Minnesota with financial support from the U.S. Department of Energy.
That plant is estimated to be able to handle 75,000 tons of chemicals each year once it is up and running, MIT Technology Review reported.
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