Degussa-Huls, Krupp Uhde develop PO from H2O2 route

04 January 2001 10:46  [Source: ICIS news]

LONDON (CNI)--German specialty chemicals company Degussa-Huls and compatriot engineering firm Krupp Uhde are developing a new process for the production of propylene oxide (PO) from hydrogen peroxide.

The companies announced on Thursday that they have agreed to co-operate on the development of the process, which produces PO through the catalytic oxidation of propylene with hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂).

Degussa-Huls has developed an optimised catalyst and determined the most important parameters for the process, they said in a statement, and Krupp will provide its expertise in plant engineering and technology. "This will generate the basis for further process development regarding commercial-scale production and later commercialisation."

The companies said the new, low-cost process produces no co-products in the manufacturing process and opens up a new sales potential for Degussa-Huls' H₂O₂ output. Degussa-Huls, which plans to merge with SKW Trostberg later this year, claims to be the world's second largest producer of H₂O₂.

PO is currently manufactured primarily through the chlorohydrine process, which produces a chlorine-containing waste liquor, and the PO/styrene monomer (SM) process, which generates large quantities of SM as a co-product. It has an above-average growth rate, the companies said, and is used primarily in the production of polyurethane (PU) and polyester resin raw materials.

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Author: Anna Jagger
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