LanzaTech announces collaboration with Dow to introduce bio-degradable cleaning solution

LanzaTech Global, Inc., the carbon recycling company transforming waste carbon into sustainable raw materials, has collaborated with Dow to introduce a new biodegradable surfactant to the home care market, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

Dow’s surfactant, EcoSense 2470, is made using LanzaTech’s CarbonSmart technology and ensures immediate market entry, while maintaining high-performance standards and advancing sustainability with recycled carbon materials. Surfactants are a critical ingredient for creating the foam and cleaning action of many household cleaning and laundry products.

LanzaTech’s biorecycling technology works like a brewery: proprietary bacteria consume carbon-rich pollution from industrial facilities, such as steelmaking plants, and convert it into CarbonSmart chemicals, such as ethanol. This ethanol can be converted into ethylene oxide, and subsequently used to produce surfactants.

This recycled carbon-based surfactant, marketed by Dow as EcoSense 2470, has versatile properties suitable for diverse home care applications.

“The capacity to provide cleaning solutions made from recycled carbon with outstanding effectiveness is a distinguishing factor that significantly influences the purchasing decisions of household consumers,” said Farooq Alam, Global Strategic Marketing Director, Dow Home Care. “EcoSense 2470 underscores our dedication to eco-conscious surfactant manufacturing, serving as the gateway to a sustainable future. It sends a resounding message to both home care brand owners and consumers that sustainability and superior performance work hand-in-hand harmoniously.”

“There is enough carbon above ground to make all the things we need,” said Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech. “We have been active in the ethoxylates space for several years, converting ethanol to surfactant ingredients, and with now Dow, our collaboration will enable us to greatly expand our reach in this market, which was valued at $19 billion in 2022. In this way, we can pave the way for recycled carbon home care products that deliver both sustainability and product quality. There is no need for compromise when doing good for the planet!”

The official launch of EcoSense 2470 will take place during a presentation at the Innovation Forum with Dow experts hosted during the SEPAWA Congress, held from October 26 – 28 in Berlin, Germany.

We remind, LanzaTech NZ, Inc. announced a funding partnership with Brookfield Renewable, and its institutional partners, to co-develop and build new commercial-scale production plants that will employ LanzaTech’s CCT technology, which transforms captured carbon into valuable raw material commodities.

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Kem One, a chlor-alkali producer, will convert all production at its plant in Fos, France from diaphragm to membrane-based production, said the company.

The conversion will occur in the fourth quarter of 2024; the plant will be shut down for two months, according to the source.

The Fos plant has a diaphragm capacity of 199,000 dmt (dry metric tonnes)/year for caustic soda, and 178,000 tonnes/year for chlorine. The site already has a membrane caustic soda capacity of 174,000 dmt/year and a chlorine capacity of 155,000 tonnes/year.

Membrane cell chlor-alkali production is more energy efficient than diaphragm, and produces caustic soda that has a higher concentration, making it suitable for a wider variety of applications.

Kem One is the second-largest chlor-alkali producer in Europe in terms of capacity and had previously converted mercury cell production at its Lavera, France plant to membrane in 2017, to comply with the phasing out of mercury cell capacity in Europe.

As MRC informed before, Kem One declared FM on PVC supplies from its Saint-Fons site, France on February 3, 2021. Rising water levels on Rhone River, which interrupted the transportation of feedstock VCM, was cited as the reason behind the FM. The interrupted navigation on Rhone River prevented the company from transporting vinyl chlorie monomer(VCM) to its Saint-Fons site and forced it to slow down production of PVC there.

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Nuberg EPC, the global engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company, has been awarded the PPP contract by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) for the design, engineering, manufacturing, supply and commissioning of a Propylene Purification Package at IOCL Panipat Refinery, Haryana, India, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.

The project is part of IOCL’s expansion plan to increase the refinery capacity from 15 MMTPA to 25 MMTPA. The project is expected to be completed in 18 months (one and a half years). This is Nuberg EPC’s first project in the propylene purification segment and demonstrates its capability to execute complex and challenging projects in the oil and gas sector.

It's the first Propylene Purification Package that will be skid mounted / modular in nature to facilitate easy installation and operation. Nuberg EPC will use regenerative and sacrificial adsorbent technology to purify propylene from the refinery off-gas stream. The purified propylene will be used as a feedstock for producing polymers, which are widely used in various industries such as packaging, textiles, automotive, etc.

This is the fourth project that Nuberg EPC is executing for IOCL in India, demonstrating its strong partnership and expertise in the oil and gas sector. Nuberg EPC is also involved in setting up India’s first hydrogen fuel dispensing station, a bio-ethanol plant, and a sulfur recovery unit (SRU) for IOCL at various locations. These projects are part of IOCL’s vision to diversify its product portfolio and adopt cleaner and greener fuels. Nuberg EPC is committed to delivering these projects with high standards of quality, safety, and efficiency.

The scope of work for Nuberg EPC includes the design, engineering, manufacturing, assembly, inspection, testing, supply and supervision of erection, commissioning and performance guarantee testing of the Propylene Purification Package. The package will consist of various equipment such as pressure vessels, heat exchangers, compressors, motors, electric heaters, air cooled heat exchangers, etc. Nuberg EPC’s process equipment manufacturing facility in Gujarat will supply equipment for the project.

Nuberg EPC’s proven global execution experience and in-house strengths of driving technology-oriented projects has already made her a global leader for executing turnkey projects worldwide. The company has also set-up and commissioned multiple plants in Chemicals & Fertilizers, Hydrocarbon, Green Energy, Steel, and Nuclear & Defense industries globally. Being a responsible global corporate citizen, Nuberg EPC is committed to innovating world class technologies and processes. The company is actively delivering projects globally leveraging its Indian strengths and is expanding its footprints in Hydrogen – Green, Grey and Blue; 2G & 3G Ethanol, Water Electrolysis, Water Soluble Fertilizers and Next Generation Nutrients, in addition to traditional strengths.

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Wacker Chemie started the construction of several new production lines to expand its specialty silicone manufacturing capacities at the Zhangjiagang site in Jiangsu Province, China, said Chemanager-online.

At the site, which is one of Wacker’s largest fully integrated production sites, the globally operating chemical group will produce functional silicone fluids, silicone emulsions and silicone elastomer gels. Investments of some €150?million are planned for the expansion project, Wacker said.

“This expansion project is our largest single investment in Zhangjiagang since the site was officially commissioned in 2010,” said Alvin Hu, president of Wacker China. “Demand from customers in China is growing steadily,” he added, “especially for innovative specialty silicones.”

Christian Kirsten, Wacker’s executive board member responsible for the group’s global silicone business, commented: “Silicone fluids, emulsions and gels are used in many kinds of applications today, which is why we anticipate growth to continue. Expanding capacity in Zhangjiagang is a logical next step in the group’s strategy of continuing to make specialty silicones a bigger part of its product portfolio.”

The project has already received all necessary permits from local authorities. The new facilities are scheduled to come on stream in the second half of 2025.

We remind, Wacker Chemie is expanding its vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer (VAE) dispersions production facilities by 85,000 t/y at its Calvert City, Kentucky site in the US. The additional capacity is expected to be in the market in the second half of this year.

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Arkema plans a two-and-a-half-fold increase of its organic peroxide production capacities at the Changshu site in China, said Chemanager-online.

This investment of around €50 million, the company said, will enable it to support its Asian customers in fast-growing markets, particularly in renewable energies.

According to Arkema, its Luperox brand of organic peroxides are used as niche additives fulfilling a critical mission as reaction initiators for a wide range of polymers and in particular play an important role in the energy transition as vital components in the manufacture of photovoltaic panels. With this significant investment in Changshu (China), Arkema will support the strong expansion of Asian producers serving a fast-growing global market.

This expansion of the group's organic peroxide activities in China complements the 70% increase in its organic peroxide capacity in India announced in 2022, as well as the doubling of capacity at the Luperox 101 plant in Gunzburg, Germany, which started up this summer. These projects, said Arkema, had notably enabled the industrial validation of several new and more efficient technologies, significantly reducing the environmental footprint of the organic peroxides business.

Commissioning of the new plant expansion in Changshu, for which the groundbreaking ceremony took place in September, is expected in early 2025.

Laurent Tellier, senior vice-president of Arkema’s Performance Additives business, commented: “With this investment in China, we are strengthening our position as a major producer of niche additives for sustainable development, with an industrial expansion that will incorporate our most efficient technologies in terms of environmental footprint.”

We remind, Arkema has doubled capacity for its Reafree-branded powder polyester resins at its Navi Mumbai facility in India. The French chemical producer said the upgrade reinforces its leadership position in the global powder coatings market and its commitment to developing very low-VOC technologies.

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