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Filtration Industry Analyst December 1998

BF GOODRICH INVESTS IN BELGIUM

BF Goodrich Performance Materials is to invest US$5 mi l l i on in a capac i ty ex- pans ion at its plant in Antwerp, Belgium, for the product ion of Carbopol ® p o l y m e r s and P e m u l e n ® polymeric emulsifiers.

Carbopol ® polymers and Pemulen ® polymeric emulsi- fiers are used as thickeners, stabilisers and emulsifiers in a wide range of personal care, household, textile, industrial and coatings applications and are also used as excipients in pharmaceuticals. BF Goodrich built the plant in Antwerp in 1995, to meet increasing demand for Carbopol ® poly- mers, particularly in Europe.

The plant recently was awarded ISO 9002 certifica- tion for the production of Carbopol ® polymers. The expansion is expected to be completed by the end of 1998.

BASF INCREASES AROMATIC

ALDEHYDES CAPACITY

By January 1999, BASF will double the total capacity for aromatic aldehydes to more than 4500 metric tons annu- ally at its Ludwigshafen site, through a series of process engineering measures and cons i s tent use of ex is t ing plant expansion possibilities.

This will make the Ludwigshafen production plant the world's largest facili- ty for the electro-chemical pro- duction of aldehydes, such as p-tolylaldehyde or anisalde- hyde. The capacity for p-toly- laldehyde alone will more than double to about 1000 metric tons annually. This will allow BASF to meet the worldwide demand for p-tolylaldehyde.

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Aromatic aldehydes are: manufactured by electro- chemical oxidation, one of BASF's core technologies. This synthesis route is particu- larly eco-compatible. In addi- tion, products synthesised by this process have a high degree of purity.

p-Tolylaldehade is used as an intermediate in the produc- tion of nucleation agents for transparent polypropylene, pigments, UV adsorbers and fragrances. Anisaldehyde is also used in UV adsorber pro- duction, as well as in dilti- azem, a pharmaceutical active substance, and in fragrance and flavour compositions.

BP UNVEILS UK CHEMICALS BLUEPRINT

BP has announced £500 mil- lion worth of new investment in chemicals manufacturing in the UK, as part of a pro- gramme to boost the compet- i t iveness of its European chemicals business.

New plants will be built at BP,si tes in Grangemouth, Scotland and Hull, North-East England. An existing ethylene pipeline from Grangemouth to Teesside will be extended to Hull and ethylene manufactur- ing at Grangemouth will be stepped up to more than 1 mil- lion tonnes. The investment, to be completed by 2002, will enable both the Hull and Grangemouth sites to benefit from close integration with North Sea feedstocks, highly productive new technologies and low-cost on-site power generation, taking them firmly into the top rank of chemicals manufacturing locations in Europe.

The new developments at Grangemouth include a com- bined heat and power (CHP) project, a 270 000 tonnes per annum expansion of the KG ethylene cracker and a new 110 000 tonnes per annum ethanol plant. Work will begin

immediately on the CHP pro- ject, with commissioning due in 2000. Completion of the KG expansion, the second since the plant came on stream in 1993, will coincide with the availability of new feedstocks from the Central Graben Area of the North Sea from around 2000. The ethanol plant con- struction will begin immedi- ately for completion in 2001.

The new developments at Hull include a 250 000 tonnes per annum vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) plant and a 220 000 tonnes per annum ethyl acetate plant which will be built together to maximise synergies and reduce costs. The VAM plant, to be com- pleted by the end of 2000, will be based on a new BP propri- etary technology, which offers the potential to more than double the capacity of a single reactor, compared with con- ventional technology. BP's investment in VAM at Hull will coincide with the end of a toll manufacturing agreement with Enichem of Italy for VAM product ion at Porto Marghera, near Venice, when the existing contract expires in 2000. In addition, the 115 000 tonnes per annum VAM plant at BP's Baglan Bay site in South Wales will close when BP is in a position to assure uninterrupted supply to customers.

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JV EXPLORES OPPORTUNITIES

IN OMAN Subs id iar i e s of A m o c o , Occidental Petroleum, and Neste are to establish a joint venture to explore for, devel- op and produce natural gas reserves in the north of Oman.

The partners plan to con- duct a joint programme to define known gas reserves and explore for addit ional gas reserves in a common area of

interest, consisting of Blocks 9, 15, 27, 31 and 44. The nat- ural gas production is targeted for markets in northern Oman, and the northern United Arab Emirates (UAE), through the large natural gas supply hub located in Sharjah.

Amoco Oman Gas BV will have a 60 per cent interest in the joint venture with Occidental of Oman and Neste (E&P) BV holding 26 per cent and 14 per cent respectively. Occidental will lead initial gas reserve definition and explo- ration efforts and operations are expected to commence this year. Amoco will lead infra- structure development and gas marketing activities. The joint venture is subject to final approvals and the companies hope to sign final agreements by the end of 1998.

Plans include development well drilling and construction of a gas collection system and processing plant in northern Oman, as well as gas transmis- sion lines to Sohar in northern Oman and the Amoco-operat- ed Sharjah gas hub in the northern UAE.

EXXON AND FOSTER

WHEELER IN LTA DEAL

Foster Wheeler Internation- al Corporation (FWIC) has strengthened its close rela- tionship with Exxon compa- nies, by signing a Long-Term Agreement (LTA).

Set to run for up to five years, the LTA gives Exxon's European subsidiaries access to all of Foster Wheeler ' s European offices for front-end loading, design, engineering, procurement and construction management services.

FWIC has had a successful working relationship with Exxon for many years and has