Japanese-based chemical company, Sumitomo Chemical, has selected EPC firm, Toyo Engineering, to construct an ethanol-to-ethylene pilot plant at its site in Chiba, Japan.

Catching you up:

We last saw an update on this project back in December when Sumitomo selected Axens' ethanol dehydration technology. Today's announcement just means that Toyo will do all of the detailed engineering, procurement, and construction of Axens' process. The companies are looking to start-up that pilot plant sometime next year.

Zooming out:

Ethanol-to-ethylene is just one piece of the puzzle—the company still needs to produce ethanol and put that ethylene to work. Sumitomo is partnering with Sekisui (who partnered with LanzaTech) to produce ethanol from mixed waste. Because that waste could include plastic waste, this process could give advanced recycling methods like pyrolysis a run for its money someday. That's because this recycling process will produce a pure stream of ethylene without the need for a steam cracker.

Read the press release here.

Swiss specialty chemicals company, Clariant, has announced the opening of a new joint venture production facility for process and light stabilizers in Cangzhou, China.

What are they making?

Without stabilizers, polymer chains break down quicker and lose the physical properties that make them so useful (impact strength, tensile strength, elongation, etc.). Clariant's new facility will produce many different stabilizers to prevent polymers from degrading during their manufacture and when exposed to light. The company specifically mentioned its intent to produce this polyamide stabilizer.

One step back:

We often hear about how bad our plastic pollution problem is becoming. Stabilizers, like the chemical additives Clariant is producing, extend the useful life of plastic and therefore reduce how much plastic must be thrown away. Extending that useful life makes plastic a lot more valuable.

Read the press release here.

Netherlands-based sustainable chemicals company, Avantium, has announced the successful production of bio-based MEG and MPG at its demonstration plant in Delfzijl, The Netherlands.

A quick refresher:

We last saw Avantium when the company scored a couple of offtake contracts for the PEF it plans to make in the future. Since then, the company secured another contract and now has found buyers for over half of the plant's planned capacity.

Wait, what about MEG and MPG?

Avantium is producing MEG and MPG by applying a hydrogenolysis process to plant-based sugars (from non-food biomass or crops like corn, wheat, or beets). These two glycols are used primarily for things like coolants and antifreeze, but Avantium's primary goal is to bring an alternative polyester to market. That alternative polyester (PEF) has some superior properties when compared to the fossil-based PET, but it's certainly not going to take PET's throne any time soon.

Read the press release here.