Dow, Süd-Chemie target syngas breakthrough

Midland, Michigan / Munich, Germany - Dow Chemical Co. and Süd-Chemie have agreed to research alternative routes to produce chemicals to help reduce dependence on traditional sources of oil and gas. The partners aim to convert synthesis gas (syngas), that can be derived from resources such as coal or biomass, to building block chemicals.

"Dow is exploring innovative ways to reduce our reliance on oil and gas as the raw materials we use to produce chemicals and plastics," said Juan Luciano, senior vice president, Hydrocarbons and Basic Plastics. "Conversion of syngas based on coal or biomass is a promising route for the scale that Dow needs to have an impact."

As a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, syngas can be produced through gasification and reforming processes from a wide variety of abundant raw materials including coal, petroleum coke, biomass, natural gas and waste products. The intermediate can be converted then to chemicals, plastics, electricity, and transportation fuels with existing technology, but current capital and conversion costs are steep.

Dow and Süd-Chemie's research will focus on making the conversion process more efficient and economically viable.

"For many years, Süd-Chemie has been allocating significant resources in the field of catalysts for alternative feedstock conversion," said Dr. Günter von Au, chairman and CEO of Süd-Chemie. "We are very confident that by partnering with Dow, further efficiency improvement on these processes can be accomplished."

Dow and Süd-Chemie will be developing the terms of the joint research and development effort within a couple of months with a plan to initiate the program in April 2009. Focusing on the development and manufacturing of catalysts for the conversion of syngas to chemicals and the direct conversion of syngas to olefins, this joint research program will be conducted in The Netherlands at Dow's Terneuzen site and at Sud-Chemie's catalyst R&D centres in Germany and the US.