| Abstract: |
There are twin pressures mounting in U.S. industry for increased utilization of biomass feedstocks and biotechnology in production. The more demanding pressure relates to economic sustainability, that is, because of increased competition globally, businesses will fail unless a minimum margin of profit is maintained while meeting the demands of consumers for less expensive products. The second pressure relates to Green Technology where environmental sustainability, linked for example to concerns about climate change, and the preservation of natural resources, represents a world-wide driving force to reduce the consumption of fossil hydrocarbons. The resulting transition to biomass production in the industrial plant, as opposed to the agricultural plant, has resulted in an increasing need for isotopic methods of authenticating and dating feedstocks, intermediates, and industrial products. The research described represents a prototypical case study leading to a patent application for a new composition of matter defined by the unique dual isotopic (13, 14C) composition of a new biomass-based commercial polymer, polypropylene terepthalate (3GT). |
