UK-based Econic Technologies has certainly been busy this year. In April, Econic signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Japan-based Sanyo Chemical to produce CO2-based polycarbonate ether polyol (PCE) for polyurethane applications. The resulting high-performance polyols can be used in foams, laminates, coatings, and elastomers for applications such as furniture and mattresses, automotive, construction, footwear and apparel, and many industrial uses.
More recently, Changhua Chemical Technology Co. Ltd., a licensee of Econic’s CO2-based polyols technology, announced the groundbreaking of its new 80,000 tpa PCE plant in Lianyungang, China. The plant, which will start production of Econic’s Carnol™® in 2025, will use captured CO2 as its feedstock. Carnol™® PCE polyols will be sold under license in China and worldwide. Carnol™® polyols are compatible with emerging recycling technologies and can be combined with recycled and bio-based polyols to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Econic has also licensed its renewable polyols technology to Monument Chemical in 2023 and India-based Manali Petrochemicals Ltd. in 2021. Monument Chemical is retrofitting a facility in an undisclosed location to produce PCE polyols in the USA later this year using upcycled CO2. In India, Manali Petrochemicals is also retrofitting a demo-scale unit (1,300-litre reactor) at one of its plants, and this is expected to scale up to a 12,000-litre reactor in the next three years in collaboration with downstream partners.
Using Econic’s process, the company reported a CO2 emissions reduction of approximately 30% compared with the traditional fossil-based polyols production for polyurethane applications. According to an independent lifecycle analysis (LCA) study conducted in 2021 for Econic, approximately 11.4 million metric tons of CO2 emissions could be avoided or utilized if all polyurethane products manufactured worldwide used Econic’s CO2-based polyols technology.
NEW KID ON THE SURFACTANTS BLOCK
Earlier this month, Unilever formally announced its partnership with Econic to scale up the development of CO2-based surfactants. The companies have been working on this process for the past two years. Econic is searching for industrial partners to scale its CO2-based surfactants process and produce test samples for Unilever. In my recent conversation with Econic Technologies CEO, Keith Wiggins, I learned that their process can replace up to 50% of the hydrocarbon content (ethylene oxide and other components) with CO2 in non-ionic surfactants.
The non-ionic surfactants market is valued at $20bn and is growing. New renewable surfactants are rapidly being developed and commercialized.
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