Degussa commissions `first industrial scale' PDO plant
15 Jan 2000
German chemicals manufacturer Degussa has commissioned the world's first industrial scale 1,3-propanediol (PDO) plant, at Wesseling in Cologne. PDO is used as an intermediate in the production of polyester polymers.
The 9000tpa plant produces PDO for DuPont's fibres businesses. Last April, Degussa agreed to sell its PDO process to DuPont, issued the company with a licence to use its acrolein technology for PDO production; and signed the agreement to build and operate the Wesseling plant on DuPont's behalf. As part of the agreement with the US giant, Degussa is to continue selling PDO, as well as other polyols, into fine chemicals and coatings markets.
`The plant has been undergoing exhaustive qualification testing, through polymer, fibre and fabric, to demonstrate it is capable of meeting the exact quality requirements of fibre production,' says Degussa.
