Chemical Processing - October 2007 - (Page 24)

makes biodiesel in Houston, Texas; Kallo, Belgium; and Middlesbrough, U.K. “For every 10 million gallons of biodiesel, we get 1 million gallons of glycerin,” explains Simon UpfillBrown, DHCP’s general manager. This has led to another Dow initiative, to deal with glycerin byproduct — which is becoming a major issue for biodiesel makers (see www.ChemicalProcessing.com/industrynews/2007/020. html and www.ChemicalProcessing.com/ articles/2007/099.html). The company now is converting that glycerin into polyethylene glycol renewable or PGR. In March Dow started what it terms a pilot-scale unit to produce PGR at an annual rate of 10 million to 20 million pounds. “The purity of our product coming out of pilot scale is very close to PGI [propylene glycol industrial grade],” notes Mady Brico, global products director of propylene oxide/propylene glycol for Dow’s Polyurethanes unit. PGR is compatible with many industrial PG applications, such as for unsaturated polyester resins for boat hulls and bathroom fixtures, aircraft de-icers, antifreezes as well as heavy-duty liquid laundry detergents. “You have to absorb carbon to grow renewables,” Biodiesel manufacturing yields a substantial amount of byproduct glycerin. Dealing with is becoming a major issue. adds Upfill-Brown, pointing out PGR’s potential positive climate-change impact. Brico expects full-scale commercial availability in 2008– 2009, with estimated annual output then of 50 million to 60 million pounds. “We’re waiting to see where glycerin and biodiesel continue to move.” The company is looking at a variety of glycerin supplies, from crude to refined. “Our [current] customer is World Energy, and they actually own the glycerin,” Upfill-Brown says. Ethanol initiatives Like biodiesel’s, cellulosic ethanol’s popularity continues to Check Valves Built to Your Check List. www.checkall.com West Des Moines, Iowa USA Phone: 515-224-2301 sales@checkall.com ✓ Light weight: the pipe is used as the valve body. ✓ Tight seals: choice of common and exotic elastomeric seats for special conditions. ✓ Supply-side spring: the valve ✓ Variety of spring settings: from 1/8 psi to 100 psi settings. trim is upstream of the mixture. ✓ Simplicity: only four to six components (depending on style). Since 1958 www.chemicalprocessing.com 24 • October 2007 http://www.ChemicalProcessing.com/industrynews/2007/020.html http://www.ChemicalProcessing.com/industrynews/2007/020.html http://www.ChemicalProcessing.com/industrynews/2007/020.html http://www.ChemicalProcessing.com/articles/2007/099.html http://www.ChemicalProcessing.com/articles/2007/099.html http://www.checkall.com http://www.checkall.com http://www.chemicalprocessing.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Chemical Processing - October 2007

Chemical Processing - October 2007 Contents From the Editor ChemicalProcessing.com Field Notes In Process Energy Saver Compliance Advisor Biofeedstocks See Real Growth Become a Cyber-Security Pacesetter Go Beyond Condition Monitoring Disposable Equipment Earns Lasting Role Improve Control Loop Performance Ethanol Plant Boosts Output and Saves Energy Process Puzzler Plant InSites Equipment & Services Ad Lits Product Spotlight/Classifieds Ad Index End Point

Chemical Processing - October 2007

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