Midland, Michigan/Ludwigshafen, Germany - Dow Chemical Co. and BASF's jointly developed HPPO (hydrogen peroxide to propylene oxide) technology has received the Innovation and Excellence Award in Core Engineering, presented 3 Nov in York, England.
Compared to conventional PO (propylene oxide) process technologies, the statement said, the Dow-BASF innovation reduces watsewater by 70-80 percent and energy use by around 35 percent, according to a joint eco-efficiency study conducted by the two companies in 2007.
Also, PO plants using the technology will require up to 25 percent less capital to build, compared to conventional technologies, "as they have reduced infrastructure, a smaller physical footprint and simpler raw materials integration," the statement said.
"We see two very important factors required to solve world challenges - innovation and collaboration - coming together in this example of research and development," said Neil Dawkins, Dow's vice president of Sustainability and EH&S.
"It will require new technology and partnering like this between companies, governments, NGOs and communities to secure our sustainable future," said Stefan Deibel, vice president of BASF Polyurethanes.
In 2008, Dow and BASF successfully started up the first commercial-scale production plant based on the BASF/Dow-developed HPPO technology at BASF's Antwerp, Belgium, facility. A second plant based on this technology is scheduled to begin production in Map Ta Phut, Thailand, in the first half of 2011, the statement said. (RD)
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