🏭 Nobody likes soggy cardboard

Good morning. Does anyone know the current status of Röhm's new methyl methacrylate site in Bay City, Texas? It's been a while since they've provided an update and it should be subject to the same market conditions as Mitsubishi's new site.

From the condenser:

· Mitsubishi's upcoming MMA project

· Shin-Etsu's new cardboard coating

· POTD: urinal cakes

Mitsubishi might be getting MMA cold feet

Japanese chemical company, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC), has delayed the final investment decision for its potential ethylene-based methyl methacrylate (MMA) plant in Geismar, Louisiana by 6-18 months.

MMA 101:

Pretty much all of the world's MMA is produced via the condensation of acetone and hydrogen cyanide, but due to acetone pricing and hydrogen cyanide scaling limitations, the two main MMA producers (Mitsubishi and Röhm) are looking to build ethylene-based plants going forward. Remember, going the ethylene-route has implications on polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) pricing (Mitsubishi's is called Lucite, and Röhm's is called Plexiglas).

Bringing you up to speed:

While Röhm is looking to build one of these sites for the first time, MCC has already done it a couple of times. And we've talked about this MMC project before—the company shutdown its old non-ethylene-based site in Beaumont, TX back in November 2020, and then proposed building this one just one month later. Now, nearly two years down the road, MCC has completed the front end engineering design (FEED) phase and started applying for wetland and air permits.

Zooming out:

Since ethylene-based MMA is clearly the cost advantaged process in the US, and ethylene prices are expected to remain low in the region, the decision to delay their final investment decision is probably related to other market conditions (like poor exchange rates or other MCC businesses that are struggling). Also, let's not forget that MCC is looking to carve out its petroleum-based businesses by the end of next year, so maybe their plans are contingent on how that works out.

Shin-Etsu's new cardboard box coating

Japanese chemical company, Shin-Etsu, has developed a silicone coating for paper applications like cardboard boxes.

Cardboard box 101:

We see cardboard pretty much everywhere—the paper-based material has found countless packaging and transport-related applications. For most of these cases, paper's fatal flaw (the fact that it can get soggy), doesn't really matter. But for other applications, like cardboard milk cartons, the cardboard needs to be coated with a waterproof material (such as a polyethylene wax or film) to maintain the carton's structural integrity.

The problem:

Coating cardboard is a double-edged sword. On one hand you increase the number of applications for cardboard (by making it waterproof), but on the other hand you reduce the recyclability of the material (it's easier to recycle pure products). That's because cases where you have mixed materials are frequently problematic for their separation processes (apparently the polyethylene coatings become sticky and glue like and clog the recycling machines).

Shin-Etsu's solution:

The success of Shin-Etsu's silicone coating hinges on its ability to replace applications for waterproof materials (like plastics) and to replace applications for polyethylene-coated cardboard (on the basis that this new coating doesn't hinder cardboard recyclability). It's not clear why this silicone coating doesn't create the same issues for recyclers, and the lack of detail in the press release doesn't help. If anyone has a clue, or can make some sense of their product page, feel free to chime in on this one.

Some more headlines:

• Arkema is making progress on the expansion of one of its non-ozone depleting refrigerants

• BASF and Hannong Chemicals are going to form a JV to make non-ionic surfactants in Asia

• Perstorp’s new pentaerythritol plant is on track for start-up in Q2 2023

• LanzaTech and Brookfield formed a partnership with a $500 million commitment

• Fluor landed an EO/EG contract for BASF’s new Zhanjiang Verbund site

Product of The Day:

Today, we're breaking down urinal cakes.

Not all of us have used a urinal, but if you have, then you have most certainly peed on some para-dichlorobenzene (pDCB). Solid at room temperature, this stuff stops bacteria from feeding on the urea (limiting more stinky ammonia smell) and emits a scent (frequently cherry) to drown out the less pleasant pee smells.

While they aren’t the ones who add fragrance and form the cakes, its companies like Lanxess that make the molecule. By the way, there’s currently a movement towards alternatives made of sodium sulfate and sodium bicarbonate (because apparently inhaling pDCB can be hazardous).

In case you're interested:

• Podcast: Check out this episode about a BASF trainee working as a process engineer.

• Book: You need to understand the forces behind the oil industry to understand the chemical industry. Daniel Yergin's The New Map does a great job breaking it down.*

• Safety Moment: Read this article to learn how improving the ergonomics in a chemical plant can improve the safety in the workplace.

• Course: We think of chemical plants in terms of unit operations. To understand the industry you need to learn about those units.*

The bottoms:

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