Regulator to decide on solvent change for US SBR plant

12 October 2011 23:36  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS)--The Louisville Municipal Air Pollution Control Board (LMAPCB) in Kentucky should have a decision in a few weeks on a permit request by American Synthetic Rubber (ASRC) to change its solvent from toluene to cyclohexane and methylcyclohexane, the board said on Wednesday.

The public hearing was called because someone requested it after reading a material safety data sheet (MSDS) on cyclohexane from 1994 that stated more study was needed on the effects of the chemical, the LMAPCB said.

 

The board said it will take into account all comments made at the public hearing before making a decision.

 

Michelin, which owns ASRC, did not respond to a request for comment. 

 

Steve Taylor, an engineer and permit writer for the LMAPCB, said since 1994, there has been ample study of cyclohexane, and the current MSDS for cyclohexane provides a much more descriptive analysis. 

 

While the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are about the same, cyclohexane and methylcyclohexane were not as hazardous as toluene. Neither is identified as air pollutants under the US Clean Air Act, Taylor added.

 

The Kentucky facility is probably the only US SBR producer using toluene as a solvent in its manufacturing process, said Jim McGraw, managing director and chief executive officer of the International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers (IISRP).

 

The other six US SBR production facilities use cyclohexane and methylcyclohexane, McGraw said.

 

ASRC has an SBR capacity of 200,000 tonnes/year.

 

Others US SBR producers include Firestone Polymers, Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Ashland, LANXESS and Lion Copolymer, which with ASRC, have the combined capacity to produce 1,095,000 tonnes/year.

 

There are also another 60 SBR production plants in the world.

By: Wesley Busch

By: Staff Reporter
+44 20 8652 3214

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