Changhua Chemical, a China-based polycarbonate ether (PCE) producer, has broken ground on the country’s first CO2-based polyols plant.
Located in Lianyungang, the facility will use Econic’s technology to replace fossil feedstocks with captured carbon dioxide in the manufacture of polyols.
The UK-based company’s technology is based on a proprietary catalyst and process that allows manufacturers to replace up to 30% of the fossil-based component in their polyols with captured CO2. The use of CO2 offers a more sustainable option while yielding high-performance polyols that can be used in foams, laminates, coatings, and elastomers for a range of applications, from furniture and mattresses to insulation, footwear and apparel.
The facility under construction in China is expected to produce annual volumes of about 80,000 tonnes by early 2025. Changua plants to scale production to over 1 million tonnes in the coming years, it said in a statement.
“The chemical sector in China has an important role to play in supporting national and global sustainability goals,” said Dr. Gu, chairman and owner of Changhua Group. “At Changhua Chemical, we are proud to be taking a leading position by introducing new sustainable polyols. Carnol polyols will help manufacturers across a range of industries bring new solutions to market that have fewer greenhouse gases and less waste,” he added.
Econic has also licenced its technology to Monument Chemical in the US and Manali in India. The potential of its carbon-to-value technology goes beyond the polyurethane market, also including CO2-based surfactants.
The company was founded in 2011 by Prof. Charlotte Williams, at Imperial College London.