🏭 Electric acetylene

Good morning. Danimer's bio-degradable coatings might be the end of soggy straws.

From the condenser:

· Danimer's biodegradable plastic coating

· Orion's conductive materials

· MOTD: formaldehyde

Danimer's bio-degradable coatings are coming

US-based biopolymer producer, Danimer Scientific, signed a multi-year license and supply agreement with Kemira for the production of bio-degradable coatings for paper and board products.

Provide the context

Danimer produces a class of biodegradable polymers called polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) at their site in Winchester, Kentucky. One of those PHAs, poly(3-hydroyxbutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate), is produced by the fermentation of canola oil. Danimer markets the polymer as Nodax for use in a bunch of different end-markets. A couple of years ago, Danimer signed an agreement with Kemira to develop a Nodax-based coating for Kemira's paper-based products.

So, what are they doing?

Danimer makes the polymer, Kemira converts into into an aqueous polymer dispersion, Kemira applies the dispersion to a paper-based product, and then Kemira sells the Nodax-coated paper-based product.

Zooming out:

Many paper-based disposable goods (like the cups from a fast food restaurant) are coated with a thin layer of polyethylene to prevent the absorption of liquid. That's a pain for recyclers to deal with because the cup isn't 100% plastic or 100% paper—which is why Wendy's is going back to 100% plastic cups. If Danimer can make biodegradable coatings for paper cups Wendy's might change their mind.

Orion to make more special carbon black

Carbon black producer, Orion Engineered Carbons, has announced plans to build a new plant in La Porte, TX for the production of acetylene-based conductive additives.

Some context:

Orion's big thing is the production of carbon black—a solid form of carbon that is sold as powder or as pellets. This stuff is typically a by-product of the refining industry (via the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons) and is mostly used as a reinforcing filler in tires.

So, what's going on here?

When Orion says "acetylene-based conductive additives" they are talking about a special kind of carbon black called acetylene black. Acetylene black is made by the intentional thermal decomposition of acetylene and the resulting powder is highly pure and electrically conductive. That conductivity makes the powder a useful component in battery electrodes.

Looking forward:

Orion is expecting the demand for acetylene black to rise with the demand for electric vehicles. The company's new facility will cost about $140 million and should be ready to start up in a couple of years. The plan is for them to hook up the plant to LyondellBasell's acetylene production nearby.

Some more headlines:

• Starlinger's recycling tech was chosen for a PET recycling plant in Australia

• AGC is increasing its chlor-alkali production capacity in Thailand

• BASF plans to make more methane sulfonic acid in Ludwigshafen

• Rising natural gas prices are concerning chemical makers in Louisiana

• Ineos' hydrogen fuel network was trialed in the UK

Product of The Day:

Today's MOTD isn't even that interesting, it's just formaldehyde.

You probably came across formaldehyde for the first time when dissecting a frog in middle school (does this give you any flashbacks?). Today, the world produces some 45 million tons of the molecule each year. Most of all that production is done in the same way, at least in principle, that August Wilhelm von Hofmann came up with in the late 19th century.

Typically, formaldehyde is produce by the catalytic oxidation of methanol in the Formox process. Nearly 70% of all formaldehyde production is used to make urea-, phenol-, and melamine-formaldehyde resins (aka UF, PF, and MF). The remaining 30% is most notably used to produce BDO (which becomes Spandex) and MDI (which becomes rigid foams).

Some of the world's largest formaldehyde producers are Georgia-Pacific, Hexion, Dynea, BASF, and Huntsman. While the production of formaldeyde is relatively simple, it's costly to transport, so most formaldehyde is consumed where it is produced.

In case you're interested:

• Video: Are you still a student? Give Shawn Esquivel's video on the most important skills to learn a watch.

• Book: Admittedly, Perry's Handbook isn't cheap… but nobody has ever regretted buying this thing.*

• Course: Want a complete overview of the major petrochemicals and how we make them? This will cover all the bases.*

• Safety Moment: Read this article to learn more about static electricity, its effects within the workplace, and how to mitigate a fires from static electricity discharge.