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Chemenator Briefs

| By Gerald Ondrey

Ethylene

Toyo Engineering Corp. (Chiba, Japan; www.toyo-eng.com) has been awarded a contract for a project to construct an ethylene pilot plant, using waste-derived ethanol as raw material. The project is planned by Sumitomo Chemical Co. at its Chiba Works. Sumitomo Chemical has established a cooperative relationship with Sekisui Chemical Co. for the implementation of the technology to manufacture polyolefins using waste as raw material. Sumitomo will begin pilot production of the high-purity ethylene — the raw material for polyolefin — using waste-derived ethanol to be produced by Sekisui Chemical from the fiscal year 2022.

Toyo has worked with Sumitomo Chemical since the basic design of the plant and is currently carrying out the detailed engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) lump-sum contract, aiming to start demonstration operation of the plant for a short period. The project is slated for completion in 2022.

Bioplastic from soy molasses

Four Finnish companies — Finnfoam Oy (Salo; www.finnfoam.com), Brightplus Oy (Tampere, Suomi; www.brightplus.com), VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (Espoo; www.vttresearch.com) and Nordic Soya Oy (Uusikaupunki; www.nordicsoya.com) — have developed a process to produce compostable bioplastic from food-and-feed production side streams. The process was developed in the course of a four-year research project that was partly funded by Business Finland. A biopolymer plant will be built in Uusikaupunki, Finland, in which bioplastic production will be piloted on an industrial scale. The new plant is to be operating by the end of 2023.

The four partners have jointly explored the possibilities of using soy molasses — a side stream of soy processing — as a raw material of the future. “The process developed as an outcome of this cooperation project is the first in the world to produce an ecological lactic-acid polymer from the side streams of soy production,” says Henri Nieminen, CEO of Finnfoam. “This way, we can offer a sustainable alternative to sugar- and corn-based polylactic acid (PLA),” he says.

Soy molasses, which is not suitable for food, has previously been disposed of by incineration. Producing bioplastic from this residue of soy processing has huge potential as a scalable export product in the circular economy. Globally, residues from soy production could produce around 22 million metric tons (m.t.) of bioplastic per year.

Green ammonia

Last month, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI; Tokyo, Japan; www.mhi.com) announced that it has invested in Starfire Energy Inc. (Denver, Colo.; www.starfireenergy.com), a developer of modular chemical plants for the production of green NH3 and H2 using a patented catalyst technology. The partnership will be used to advance the development of commercial-scale applications to decarbonize NH3 production and unlock its potential as a zero-carbon energy carrier. The investment has been executed through Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Inc., joining a consortium of investors, including AP Ventures, Chevron Technology Ventures, New Energy Technologies and Osaka Gas USA.

Ammonia has an energy density comparable to fossil fuels and significantly higher than lithium-ion batteries and compressed or liquid H2. It can be affordably and easily stored and transported, leveraging established infrastructure and shipping networks, and is regulated by well-developed codes and standards.

Starfire Energy’s Rapid Ramp NH3 technology produces NH3 from renewable energy, air and water. The company has also developed its Prometheus Carbon-free Fire, a system to crack NH3 back into H2, providing an efficient means of green H2 storage and transportation.

Anti-reflective coating

Inspired by rose petals, an anti-reflective coating has been developed by Phytonics (Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany; www.phytonics.tech), a spinoff from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT; www.kit.edu). Introduced at last month’s (virtual) Hannover Messe (April 12–16; Hannover, Germany), the film is the result of more than seven years of research and development work. With its combined micro- and nanostructure, it replicates the epidermis of rose petals over a large area. It almost completely suppresses reflection for all wavelengths and angles of incidence of the light. This makes it far superior to conventional anti-reflective coatings, the company says.

The Phytonics film is said to increase the yield of solar modules by up to 10%. Posters, display panels, traffic signs, furniture, packaging, facades and many other applications can also benefit from this technology. The film provides an anti-reflective coating for all kinds of surfaces and gives them a “noble velvety” appearance. Because the Phytonics film is mechanically flexible, it is also suitable for curved surfaces. It is dirt-repellent and highly resistant to environmental influences, such as ultraviolet (UV) light, moisture and temperature fluctuations, the company says. It is manufactured using a cost-effective roll-to-roll printing method and can be applied to all types of materials using standard lamination processes.

Sustainable methanol

Perstorp Holding AB (Malmö Perstorp, Sweden; www.perstorp.com) is planning large-scale production of sustainable methanol from captured carbon dioxide and other residue streams. This could contribute substantially towards a climate-neutral industry. Project AIR, which Perstorp has created with partners, has been approved for the next level of evaluation from the E.U. Innovation Fund.

Project AIR is a large-scale project that by 2025 will decrease annual carbon emissions into the atmosphere by half a million tons. This will be accomplished by building the world’s largest carbon capture and utilization unit on Perstorp’s site in Stenungsund, Sweden. Using a new electrolysis plant and taking biogas as a source, it will produce 200,000 ton/yr of sustainable methanol.

A final decision on what projects will be funded by the E.U. Innovation Fund is expected later this year.