Apr 18 2007
Bayer MaterialScience AG is one of the world’s largest suppliers of high-quality materials through its Polyurethanes, Polycarbonates, Thermoplastic Polyurethanes and Coatings, Adhesives and Sealants Business Units. The company manufactures these products on the basis of world-scale plants, competitive production locations and efficient processes. "We have achieved technological leadership by a process of continuous innovation in important areas of production," said Patrick Thomas, Chairman of the Board of Management, at a press conference in Dormagen. "This is an important factor in attaining cost leadership, which in turn is the key to long-term economic success for both our customers and our own company. Consequently, Bayer MaterialScience is very well positioned for the future."
Gas phase phosgenation for example, an innovation developed by Bayer MaterialScience, is an innovative and unrivalled process for manufacturing toluene diisocyanate (TDI), which is an important starting material for the production of flexible polyurethane foam used in large quantities all over the world in upholstered furniture, mattresses and car seats. With this new technology, the last stage of the reaction takes place in the gas phase instead of the liquid phase, as in the past. This process saves around 80 percent on solvent and consequently uses some 40 percent less energy, particularly in the distillation phase that follows. As a result of the vastly reduced residence time of the reaction partners in the plant, the size of the plant can be reduced considerably compared with a conventional plant of the same capacity. This reduces the investment costs by around 20 percent. "The new technology optimizes productivity. As a result, it is far superior to the improved conventional procedures of our competitors,"
explained Peter Vanacker, a member of the Executive Committee of Bayer MaterialScience and head of the Polyurethanes Business Unit.
The company commissioned a pilot plant using gas phase phosgenation in the Bayer Chemical Park in Dormagen back in mid-2004. It has a capacity of 30,000 tons a year. In view of the success of this project, all new TDI production plants are to be equipped with this innovative technology. The first deployment on a world scale is to be at Bayer MaterialScience’s integrated production site in Shanghai. "The plant is to have an annual capacity of 300,000 tons and is scheduled to come into operation in 2010.
It is part of a long-term investment program to expand our worldwide TDI capacity in line with market growth," says Peter Vanacker.
The process chain for polyurethanes and polycarbonates at Bayer MaterialScience is widely backward-integrated. The company also manufactures the precursors for both product lines. This ensures a flexible and reliable supply for customers at competitive prices. As a result, the company is also one of the leading global producers of chlorine, as this important basic chemical is used in phosgenation reactions for producing polycarbonates and the important isocyanates TDI and methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI). In cooperation with UhdeNora, DeNora North America and Bayer Technology Services, Bayer MaterialScience has developed an innovative procedure for electrolytic recovery of chlorine from hydrochloric acid that is created as a by-product in isocyanate production.
The chlorine is continually recycled during ongoing production. Using this oxygen-depolarizing cathode technology, oxygen in the form of a gas is introduced at the cathode. The technical principle is the same as a fuel cell process.
"Obtaining chlorine using oxygen-depolarizing cathode technology uses around 30 percent less energy, thus making an important contribution to climate protection, because electrolysis of hydrochloric acid is a very energy-intensive process," explains Dr. Christian Ohm, head of Inorganic Basic Chemicals. After several years of successful operation of a production plant in Brunsbüttel with an annual capacity of 20,000 tons, Bayer MaterialScience - in cooperation with Bayer Technology Services and other partners - is currently building the first world-scale plant of this type at its site in Shanghai. It has an annual capacity of 215,000 tons and is scheduled to come on stream in the coming year.