Industry Feature Dow Chemical Company Aerial photograph <strong>of</strong> the Technology Park in South Charleston, West Virginia 8 Spring 2007
<strong>WVU</strong> ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES Volume 3 Issue 1 From Seeds to Foam: HELPING REDUCE OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOSSIL FUELS By Allan E. Fowler, Vice President <strong>of</strong> West Virginia Operations The Dow Chemical Company Allan E. Fowler, Vice President <strong>of</strong> West Virginia Operations The Dow Chemical Company Ever since plastics became an important part <strong>of</strong> American life <strong>and</strong> culture in the middle <strong>of</strong> the twentieth century, we have depended on foreign oil not only to fuel our cars <strong>and</strong> to heat our homes, but also as a raw material in many products we use in our daily lives – from the cushions in our furniture to the carpet in our homes, <strong>and</strong> many more. As the supply <strong>of</strong> petroleum has become increasingly unreliable <strong>and</strong> expensive, as a nation, we are seeking to lessen our reliance on petroleum both as a fuel <strong>and</strong> as a raw material in industrial <strong>and</strong> commercial products. Thanks to research that began at Union Carbide Corporation’s South Charleston Technology Park in 2001 <strong>and</strong> is being continued today by Dow, the unassuming soybean may have an important role to play in that effort. The seeds-to-foam research involves the development <strong>of</strong> polyols, which are a component in the production <strong>of</strong> polyurethanes – rigid foams, flexible foams, <strong>and</strong> adhesives used in appliances, automotive parts, building insulation, furniture, bedding, footwear, <strong>and</strong> packaging. Traditional polyols are made from petroleum. Dow is focusing initially on developing soy-based polyols for flexible polyurethane products, the largest market today. Vince Stricker, a 1981 graduate <strong>of</strong> <strong>WVU</strong> with a degree in chemical engineering, has been with Union Carbide for the past 26 years. Stricker, along with technologists Arnie Casto <strong>and</strong> Teresa Lambert, runs the hydr<strong>of</strong>ormylation mini-plant at the South Charleston Technology Park in West Virginia, where the key enabling technology for this project was developed. Stricker is also lead recruiter <strong>and</strong> liaison for Dow to <strong>WVU</strong>, where he helps to recruit our students <strong>and</strong> graduates for internships, cooperative education experiences, <strong>and</strong> full-time positions. While the idea <strong>of</strong> using soybeans to create plastics is not a new one, the science behind it has progressed significantly. Dow has taken a different approach than other companies working in this area. Research has shown that the biggest challenge in working with natural oils is the variations <strong>of</strong> the fatty-acid makeup in the oils. If fatty acids are not controlled, product performance is difficult to control. Dow researchers have been able to successfully overcome these challenges by using a multi-step process that involves disassembling the soybean oil, selectively modifying the resultant fatty acids, <strong>and</strong> then reassembling the molecules into a desired product. Since every end-use application requires a different design, the ability to tailor the chemistries is critical. Foam performance data indicate that key product properties have been achieved. This preliminary work required no special processing steps, meaning that customers will not have to make any equipment or process modifications to work with the new soy-based polyol products. Producing polyols from natural oils, such as soy, is increasingly being viewed by the industry as a viable alternative to hydrocarbon-based feedstocks due to the favorable environmental advantages <strong>and</strong> economic stability <strong>of</strong> these raw materials. Soy is a renewable resource that is cost-competitive <strong>and</strong> has reduced environmental impact. From plant growth to polyol production, soy polyols are expected to require about half the fossil fuels <strong>and</strong> feedstocks required by traditional polyols. In addition, the introduction <strong>of</strong> natural oils into the polyurethane supply chain can provide an » 9
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