TOGETHER WITH

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From the condenser:

· Origin's hydrothermal carbon

· Another blue ammonia project

· POTD: Elmer's glue

SPECIALTY MATERIALS

Origin's hydrothermal carbon is like carbon black

Sustainable chemical startup, Origin Materials, validated the use of its hydrothermal carbon (HTC) as a substitute in high performance carbon blacks.

Getting you up to speed:

Origin's core technology is a process that converts cellulosic biomass into various bio-based (and carbon negative) molecules. The crown jewel seems to be chloromethyl furfural (CMF) because that stuff can be used to make all sorts of things (like PET, PEF, and various other polyesters, polyurethanes, and polyamides), but the process also makes HTC, furfural, and levulinic acid. We’ll see it in action for the first time soon—they just finished building their first site a couple of months ago.

Okay, so carbon black?

When we talk about carbon black, we're really referring to a bunch of different carbon blacks, all of which are different varieties of aggregated carbon nanoparticles. Those nanoparticles vary in size and by surface chemistry, and the aggregates they form vary in size (number of nanoparticles per clump) and by structure (branch length, etc.). Regardless, those carbon nanoparticles are normally made via the incomplete combustion of some petroleum-based feedstock, and most of it ends up becoming a reinforcing filler in tires (tires make up 70% of the $26 billion carbon black market).

Connecting the dots:

The transformation of valueless by-products into valuable co-products is normal in the chemical process industries, but it’s not normal for the co-product to be closely linked to a single high value application. The conversion of HTC into some carbon black analog bodes well for Origin’s economics, especially if tire manufacturers are willing to pay a premium for carbon negativity.

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PETROCHEMICALS

Another blue ammonia project proposal

Norwegian fertilizer producer, Yara, signed a letter of intent with Canadian midstream company, Enbridge, to build a blue ammonia plant in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Some context:

We care about ammonia because it's what we use to make all of our nitrogen-based fertilizers. And virtually all of that ammonia is produced by combining nitrogen (from the air) with hydrogen via the Haber-Bosch process. When companies append a colorful prefix to ammonia they're just describing the way that the hydrogen was made—hydrogen made the normal way (by reforming natural gas) is grey, when you strap on carbon capture it becomes blue, and when its made by the electrolysis of water it's green.

Summing it up:

Yara and Enbridge are going to do a feasibility study to figure out whether it makes sense to build an autothermal reformer (to make hydrogen), Haber-Bosch, and carbon capture plant at Enbridge's existing storage and export facility in Corpus Christi. The project would be jointly owned by the two companies, cost roughly $3 billion to construct, and start up as early as 2027. And all the carbon they'd capture would hypothetically be sent down Enbridge and Oxy Low Carbon Ventures proposed sequestration hub.

Bigger picture:

High natural gas prices in Europe are passed on to ammonia customers in Europe, so European ammonia producers, like Yara, are interested in building US capacity regardless of the carbon capture part of the equation. But now, with the carbon capture tax credits provided by the IRA, investment in the US is looking even more attractive. We'll have to wait and see how many of these "blue" projects actually get built.

Some more headlines

• TotalEnergies Corbion is looking into polylactic acid (PLA) recycling

• SP Chemicals chose Lummus’ CATOFIN and Novolen process technologies

• Umicore is investing in a solid state battery startup

• Shaw will supply Encina with 2+ million pounds of carpet waste per year

• The Canada Infrastructure Bank will fund this Canadian biorefinery

Product of The Day

Today, we're breaking down Elmer's glue.

Nobody made it out of grade school without using this stuff, but everyone made it out without learning what it actually is. In today's day and age Elmer's glue is an aqueous emulsion of mostly polyvinyl acetate (PVA). Its exact composition is a trade secret, but probably includes thickeners and emulsion stabilizers like polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) as well as freeze/thaw stabilizers like propylene glycol (MPG).

The reboiler

• Book: How can you expect to understand the chemical industry without knowing its history? Start with Fred Aftalion's introduction.*

• Safety Moment: Watch this video to get a crash course of how Pressure Safety Valves work, their main components, and their applications.

• Podcast: Check out this episode featuring Dr. Tina Tosukhowong of PTT Global Chemical on her career and stance on sustainability.

The bottoms

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