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Clariant in joint venture with India Glycols
from OFI May 2021
RENEWABLE NEWS Clariant in joint venture with India Glycols
Swiss speciality chemicals firm Clariant announced on 11 March that it was forming a 51-49% joint venture with India Glycols Ltd (IGL) to manufacture renewable ethylene oxide (EO) derivatives.
India Glycols manufactures green technology-based bulk, speciality and performance chemicals, as well as natural gums, spirits, industrial gases, sugar and nutraceuticals.
IGL said it was the largest producer of green EO in the world through a production process which utilised bio-ethanol. It also manufactures oleochemicals such as fatty acids, fatty alcohols, fatty amines, castor oil and hydrogenated castor oil ethoxylates.
Under the agreement, which is subject to regulatory approvals, IGL will contribute its renewable Bio-EO derivative business to the joint venture, which includes a multi-purpose production facility including an alkoxylation plant located in Kashipur, Uttarakhand, India.
“To support production, India Glycols has agreed to a long-term supply agreement for ethylene oxide made from bio-ethanol as well as further utilities,” Clariant said. The Swiss firm would contribute its local industrial and consumer specialties business in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal, as well as a net cash payment to attain a majority 51% stake.
“The joint venture is expected to become a leading supplier of renewable materials to the growing consumer care market in India and neighbouring countries,” Clariant said.
EO is used in the production of other chemicals for a variety of industrial and consumer products, including household cleaners, personal care items and fabrics and textiles. It is also used in the sterilisation of medical equipment, including personal protective equipment.
IN BRIEF
FINLAND: A biopolymer plant is being built in Uusikaupunki this year to pilot the production of compostable bioplastic on an industrial scale, Biofuels Digest reported on 27 March.
The plant, which would use soya molasses as a raw material, was expected to be operational by the end of 2023. Four companies – FinnFoam, Brightplus Oy, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Nordic Soya – were working on the project.
Nordic Soya already operates a plant in Uusikaupunki which produces soya oil, meal and protein concentrate. Co-products included lecithin, soya hulls and soya molasses, which were unsuitable for consumption and usually incinerated, the report said.
Goodyear sets out sustainable soya aims
US tyre giant Goodyear announced a new sustainable soyabean procurement policy on 18 March to guide farmers, processors and other members of the supply chain to make sound environmental and social decisions related to the growing, harvesting and processing of soyabeans.
The new policy also covers issues such as human rights and land acquisition and use.
With the support of the United Soybean Board, the company has developed a tread compound in which soyabean oil replaces some or all of petroleum-derived oil.
Goodyear said soyabean oil could improve tyre flexibility across temperatures and also provided better grip on road surfaces, making it ideal for its all-weather tyre line.
It first commercialised soyabean oil tyre innovation in 2017 and said its use of soyabean oil in 2020 increased 73% compared to the previous year. Goodyear’s goal is to completely replace petroleum oil in its products by 2040.
Its new procurement policy is effective immediately and applies to all soyabean-based materials sourced worldwide.
Goodyear says soyabean oil improves tyre flexibility and grip
German chemical and biotech giant BASF is now offering a range of plasticisers for the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) industry made from organic waste and vegetable oils, the company announced on 15 April.
PVC is one of the most widely used polymers in the world.
BASF’s new biomass-balanced (BMB) plasticisers use bio-naptha or biogas made from organic waste or vegetable oils in place of fossil fuels, the company said.
The company has also launched Hexamoll DINCH Ccycled – a non-phthalate plasticiser based on chemically recycled feedstock – which uses pyrolysis oil from plastic waste that is not recycled mechanically, such as mixed household waste or end-of-life tyres.
“The mass balance approach enables us to process renewable and recycled feedstocks together with fossil raw materials in our existing efficient production network and to allocate their share to specific products,” BASF head of marketing plasticisers (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Diana Brunnenkant said.
Plasticisers are used in a range of applications, including films, insulation for cables and ducts, coatings, flooring and hoses. They are also used in the production of toys, medical products, sports and leisure equipment and food packaging.
The biomass-balanced and chemically recycled feedstock approaches are also being used by BASF to produce renewable styrene in a partnership announced on 29 March with global materials manufacturer Trinseo.
Trinseo had been using the first supplies of renewable styrene from BASF for use in its solution-styrene butadiene rubber (S-SBR) and polystyrene (PS) products, BASF said. S-SBR was supplied to major tyre manufactures while PS products were used in applications such as food packaging and appliances.
