Polyester

There was a lot of debate surrounding how to produce this material in the colony. However, Professor Callysto developed an innovative method for its reliable production.

E. coli microbes are utilized to convert plant and biomass into ethylene in a semi-automatic MBC laboratory. Other microbes then ferment the biomass, releasing ethylene gas that is captured and reacted with oxygen to create ethylene oxide, which is then hydrated into ethylene glycol. This process is tightly controlled due to the fact that the microbes used can pose a sanitation risk to the colony.

Terephthalic acid is produced in another chamber of the same machine, using engineered bacteria to convert renewable biomass into aromatic compounds that resemble the properties of p-xylene. These compounds are then oxidized to form terephthalic acid.

Finally, both ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid is automatically polymerized at high temperatures, extruded and spun.

It is made available at the SuppliOS machine of the Work Room of the Artemis Expeditor.