Bayer unveils new polyols production process
26 Jun 2007
First 60-ktpa plant based on a new technology is due to come on stream next year
Leverkusen, Germany - Bayer MaterialScience is to build a 60-kilotonnes-per-annum plant based on a new technology for the manufacture of polymer-filled polyether polyols (PMPOs), the company has announced.
The PMPO plant is due to come on stream at the end of 2008. The unit will be sited in either Dormagen, Germany, or Antwerp, Belgium, where Bayer produces polyether polyols.
The new process keeps the amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the end product at very low levels that were previously impossible to achieve, said Bayer. The much lower operating temperature at the processing stage of the continuous operation means that the PMPOs are only very slightly discoloured, it added.
Bayer said it also expects a 25% reduction of investment costs for construction work and a decrease in energy consumption when operating production facilities by a similar percentage rate.
PMPOs are mainly used as feedstock for the production of flexible polyurethane foam, which is used in large quantities in upholstered furniture, mattresses, and car seats. The reduced VOC content of the PMPOs is particularly important for applications in vehicle interiors.