Propylene Oxide Transportation
In 2009, The Dow Chemical Company and Atlas Chemical Tankers concluded an agreement covering transportation of Propylene Oxide at Dows newly built plant in Map Tha Put, Thailand. We are deeply proud of being awarded with this honor, and will ensure a smoth and safe transportation of Propylene Oxide in the Far East region over the coming15 years.
The Dow Chemical Company is committed to being the leading producer of propylene oxide (PO) for customers worldwide. Dow has produced PO since 1948. Propylene oxide is a versatile chemical intermediate used in a wide range of industrial and commercial products. By volume, it is among the top 50 chemicals produced in the world. The Dow Chemical Company offers this material only in bulk quantities, and currently manufactures about 4 billion pounds of PO globally, at four integrated sites in Texas, Louisiana, Germany and Brazil presently.
Propylene oxide is a highly reactive chemical used as an intermediate for the production of numerous commercial materials. It reacts readily with compounds containing active hydrogen atoms, such as alcohols, amines, and acids. Therefore, propylene oxide is used worldwide to produce such versatile products as:
- Polyether polyols (polyglycol ethers)
- Propylene glycols
- Propylene glycol ethers
Polyether polyols are one of the main components in polyurethane systems and are used in many consumer applications, such as rigid foam insulation and flexible foam seat cushions. Polyether polyols make up the largest share of propylene oxide usage, between 60% and 70% of the total volume. Propylene glycol consumes another 20% of the total volume while propylene-based glycol ethers comprise about 5%. The remaining share goes into other propoxylated or specialty organic compounds. Other products made using propylene oxide are:
- Flame retardants
- Modified carbohydrates (starches)
- Synthetic lubricants
- Oil field drilling chemicals
- Textile surfactants
The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) announced 14th September 2009, that the SCG-DOW Group, a joint venture between Dow and The Siam Cement Group (SCG), and Solvay Peroxythai Ltd. recently commemorated significant milestones on the hydrogen peroxide to propylene oxide (HPPO) related investments with a foundation stone laying ceremony at the Asia Industrial Estate (AIE) site near Map Ta Phut, Thailand, where the HPPO facility is being built.
The SCG-DOW Group has procured all equipment and entered the initial construction phase on a world-scale propylene oxide (PO) plant, with an anticipated start-up in the first half of 2011. Once complete, the facility will manufacture PO via HPPO technology jointly developed by Dow and BASF, and will have a name plate capacity of 390 kilotons per annum (KTA).
The AIE site will also feature a specialty elastomers plant; a hydrogen peroxide plant built as a joint venture between Dow and Solvay; and power utilities and infrastructure. Nearby, a new liquids cracker, also jointly owned by SCG and Dow, will come on stream in 2010. The integrated Thailand plants represent a significant increase of the asset base for Dow in Thailand and Dow's largest manufacturing investments in Asia Pacific.