appliances, groceries packaging, andin the automotive sector. The twocompanies have formed a researchdeal for the preparation of newcatalyst systems for manufacturingOBCs. Mitsui said the new co-polymeroffers improved flexibility and rubberelasticity in a temperature range from–60° to more than 100°C. Mitsui’ssingle-site catalysis technique will beemployed in the project.

ICIS Chemical Business, 3 Jul 2006 (Website:http://icischemicalbusiness.com) & Japan ChemicalWeek, 29 Jun 2006, 47 (2373), 12 & Press releasefrom: Mitsui Chemicals Inc, Shiodoma City Center, 1-5-2 Higashi-Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-7117,Japan. Website: http://www.mitsui-chem.co.jp/e/ (21Jun 2006)

Dow launches olefin block copolymersdeveloped with Insite technology

Dow is launching its Infuse range ofolefin block copolymers (OBC) ontothe olefin elastomers market. Thesecombine the flexibility of polyolefinelastomers and plastomers with theheat resistance of HDPE. A novelcatalyst system allowed theproduction of the copolymers whichhave alternating rigid and elastomersegments. The patented systeminvolves a chain shuttling agent andtwo separate catalysts operating intandem. Dow will position its newproducts in competition with styrenicblock copolymers (SEBS, SIS andSBS), ethylene vinyl acetatepolymers, flexible PVC, vulcanizedthermoplastic elastomers,thermoplastic polyurethanes or evenflexible polyolefins or othercrosslinked elastomers. Dowestimates that it had sales of over $1bn in 2004 from products developedusing its Insite technology.

Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 3 Jul 2006, 346 (Website:http://www.france-chimie.com) (in French) & Plasticsand Rubber Weekly, 30 Jun 2006, 4 & EuropeanPlastics News, Jul/Aug 2006, 33 (7), 14 & ChemicalEngineering (New York), Jul 2006, 113 (7), 19

New method for making PO eliminatesundesirable side products

German companies Degussa andUhde GmbH have introduced a novelprocess for the production ofpropylene oxide. The hydrogenperoxide-based propylene oxide (HP-PO) process is claimed to be aneconomical technology as it yields noby-products. Using the novel process,the PO recovered via distillation is at

purity greater than 99.97% weight,with final PO yields of more than 95%weight. In a related developmentregarding the novel HP-PO process,Uhde was awarded in Apr 2006 acontract to build a 100,000 tonne/yPO plant based on the novel HP-POprocess in Ulsan, South Korea. Thecontract with Korean company, SKC,involves basic engineering by Uhde,technology licence by Degussa, andconstruction of an HP plant byDegussa-Headwaters Korea, a jv ofDegussa and Headwaters Inc. ThePO plant is scheduled to beoperational by early 2008.

Chemical Engineering Progress, Jul 2006, 102 (7), 13

GS CleanTech acquires exclusiverights to proprietary gasificationtechnology for ethanol production

GS CleanTech Corp announced itsexecution of an agreement withZeroPoint Clean Technology Inc(ZeroPoint) for the exclusive rights todistribute and use ZeroPoint’sproprietary gasification, gas to liquidsand fuel reforming technology in theethanol production industry.ZeroPoint’s Biomass Gasifier isdesigned to standardize variablebiomass feeds and optimize highyields of high-quality syngas in real-time with greatly increased capital andoperating cost efficiencies at smallerscales as compared to traditionalgasification technologies. The syngasoutput of ZeroPoint’s gasifier caneither be used to generate electricityin a standard gas-fired generator orcatalyzed into liquid fuels such asethanol or diesel substitutes with theFischer-Tropsch process. GSCleanTech Corp provides appliedengineering and technology transferservices based on clean technologiesand process innovations that make itcost-effective and easy to recycle andreuse resources. ZeroPoint CleanTechnology Inc is commercializingpatent pending and proprietarygasification, gas to liquids, and fuelreforming technology.

Press release from: GS CleanTech, 27 Jul 2006

Process to turn garbage intofunctional carbons developed

A process that converts organic wastematerials into functional carbons suchas carbon nanotubes has been

developed by Japan Steel Works(JSW). Methane-containing biogasreleased from organic waste materialsis decomposed using a biaxial screw-feeder reactor. The company isconducting trial operations of theprocess, which is based on a gas-phase catalytic reaction, at itsmanufacturing facility at Muroran inHokkaido Prefecture, Japan. Toevaluate the viability of the process ona commercial scale, JSW is currentlydeveloping a screw-feeder reactorthat can process 20 tonne/day oforganic waste materials. This capacityis sufficient to accommodate organicwastes produced everyday in a citywith a population of 100,000, andproduce about 400-500 kg/day offunctional carbons. The plannedfacility is expected to be completed bythe end of 2006, with experiments tobe carried out for about two years.

Japan Chemical Week, 22 Jun 2006, 47 (2372), 3

Alliance examines clean coal

Shell Gas and Power will forge analliance with Anglo American tofurther advance clean coaltechnologies. The partners will workon coal gasification technologies,designed to convert coal intohydrogen and carbon monoxidesyngas for application in power plants.The principal objective is to develop atechnology that integrates coalgasification (based on brown coal)and gas-to-liquid technologies,combined with integrated powergeneration and water recovery. Theproject will particularly focus ondevising advanced drying andgasification technologies for largevolume production of ultra-cleansynthetic diesel, along with carboncapture and storage. Anglo Americanbrings to the alliance its coal supplyand expertise, while Shell will provideknow-how on extraction, gasification,and coal conversion. The Australia-based Monash Energy project ofAnglo American could also be broughtinto the partnership.

TCE (formerly The Chemical Engineer), Jul 2006, (781), 3

Reaxa launches new metal catalystremover

The launch of four new productsexpands Reaxa’s QuadraPure line of

6 SEPTEMBER 2006

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