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And natural gas is a ~free byproduct of our oil extraction. Plastic would be unpopular if we had to spend considerable amounts of capital to produce it. Have

• pfdietz 3y ago
  Natural gas can be a byproduct of oil extraction, but it is also available by itself ("dry gas"). IIRC, most natural gas production in the US is of this kind. Fracked gas in the US is unusually high in ethane, the substance that is the primary feedstock for ethylene (and then polyethylene) production. In a world without fossil fuel production, reduced carbon compounds will become more valuable. The cost of making plastic may rise, but plastic itself will become more valuable as a commodity for later use (either as a fuel or a feedstock).
  • derefr 3y ago
    I didn’t realize that ethylene was a key step. Does this mean that I could make PET by capturing the offgassing of ripening fruit?
    • pfdietz 3y ago
      PET is not polyethylene. Synthesis of PET involves a more complex feedstock (in particular, para-xylene to make terephthalic acid.) The other component, ethylene glycol, is made from ethylene. Ethylene from fruit would not be competitive with other non-fossil sources. However, para-xylene can be made from biomass. https://www.virent.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/pX-data-sheet-v3-091819.pdf https://www.virent.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/...