THE FUTURE, - Solvay

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NANOPARTICLES AT THE HEART OF PVDC – SBU SPECIALTY POLYMERS
Project reframed
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF BIODIESEL – SBU EDS
Standing f irm
in the face of uncertainty
Epicerol ® is a revolutionary ‘green’
process that can convert glycerin
(a by-product of biodiesel) into
epichlorohydrin, a product previously
obtained at Solvay from propylene
(a hydrocarbon). As planned,
a production unit started in 2007
at the Tavaux (France) site. After a
year of trials and improvements,
industrial production was fi nally fully
Since 2006, two new PVDC latexes, using acrylic
nanoparticles as polymerization seed, have been
brought to market and are currently being tested
by customers. The fi rst (DIOFAN ® SUPER B)
enhances the water vapor and oxygen barrier
of pharmaceutical blister packs, which
are PVDC’s fl agship market.
The second (DIOFAN ® Since 2006, two new PVDC latexes, using acrylic
nanoparticles as polymerization seed, have been
brought to market and are currently being tested
by customers. The fi rst (DIOFAN
enhances the water vapor and oxygen barrier
P 510) is a new grade
for water-based anti-corrosion paints.
The project, initially based on the
production of nanoparticles ex situ,
has been extended to nanoseeding
in situ, i.e. performed in the same
reactor as the polymerization
of the PVDC, thereby limiting the equipment to a single reactor.
The ex ex ex ex situ situ situ situ technique is retained when the PVDC has to be given
special properties (thermal stability, UV-resistance).
mastered. The project team was also
confronted with the slower-thanexpected
development of biodiesel, a
temporary hike in the price of glycerin
and a contraction in demand for
epichlorhydrin. In short, it had to manage
a lot of uncertainty! The project remains
nonetheless strategic for the Group
and there are plans to build a production
unit at Map Ta Phut (Thailand).
GROUP > Panorama
GREEN CHEMISTRY FOR TAB – SBU PEROXIDES
Environmental jackpot
“ESSENTIALITY OF CHEMICALS” – CC COM & PA
Promoting understanding
and dialogue
The project objective in 2006 was to establish, at European level, a calm
and unemotional dialogue with certain of our stakeholders in order
to demonstrate to them the essential role of chemicals in biology and toxicology.
Several thematic events (fertility, risks ...) including three in 2008 have served
to bring together scientists, policymakers, NGOs and journalists. This year
the project is being continued via partner associations, but there are plans
to relaunch it after the crisis with larger-scale events.
Solvay is the world’s leading producer
of hydrogen peroxide (H 2O 2) and its derivatives,
thanks to its so-called ‘high productivity’
manufacturing process. Tert-amyl benzene
(TAB), a crucial intermediate in its production,
was the weak link in the chain because of its
energy-guzzling and environmentally-unfriendly
synthesis process.
In 2006, the Group built and started up
a new tert-amyl benzene production unit
at Jemeppe-sur-Sambre (Belgium), based
on an innovative manufacturing process.
Energy consumption has slashed by a factor
of 40 and the amount of waste by 80.
On top of this, the emergence of new high
added-value applications, such as lithium
batteries, could permit a future expansion
of the project.
Solvay live - JULY 2009 - 5