EPICEROL^®: An innovative environmental breakthrough in Epichlorohydrin production.

Epicerol^® is a novel process developed by Solvay, based on the transformation of glycerin, which is a renewable by-product of the Biodiesel industry. After a successful start-up in April 2007, this process with greatly enhanced environmental performance is now fully optimized in Tavaux, France, in an industrial plant fed with Glycerin derived from rapeseed oil.

The novel technology is based on using a totally different feedstock compared to the traditional Epichlorohydrin process, which uses Chlorine and Propylene as raw materials. Epicerol^® technology is based on using Hydrochloric Acid, a universally available product, and Glycerin, a common by-product from the Biodiesel industry. Solvay has reached an agreement with Diester-Industrie, the leading Biodiesel company in Europe, and has secured a long term contract for the supply of Glycerin.

The Glycerin based process was published in an earlier scientific literature and Solvay developed it further into an industrialized process by creating a new class of catalyst, amongst other innovations.

Described by market players as the “front runner”, Solvay has filed 38 patent applications to cover the Epicerol^® technology and Solvay would not hesitate to enforce its Intellectual Property rights if needed. Some of these patent applications are already granted in different parts of the World.

Main advantages of Epicerol^®:

Besides the very modular process, compared with the former one, there are a number of environmental advantages:

1.       A large reduction in Chlorine consumption and consequently, less chlorinated organic compounds as by-products,

2.       Lesser need for effluent streams,

3.       Non toxic or flammable basic materials,

4.       Process based on renewable materials, consuming -50% of non-renewable materials compared with the standard process.

5.       Reducing CO₂ emission by -20% compared with standard process all along the value chain.

Solvay goes green thanks to Epicerol^®:

Development of this innovative Glycerine based process for the production of Epichlorohydrin started in mid 2003. After successful trials in the Neder-Over-Heembeek Research & Technologies laboratory, a pilot plant was installed and trialed in Tavaux.

The first industrial unit in Tavaux, with an initial 10 kT capacity, is already operational since April 2007. An investment in a new Epicerol® production is moving forward in Map Ta Phut – Thailand. The startup of this 100kT/year plant is foreseen early 2012. This project is under the responsibility of Vinythai, the second largest PVC producer in Thailand. Solvay is the biggest shareholder of Vinythai, currently holding 49,9% of the shares. Other projects are under investigation. Our aim is to meet the rapidly growing world market demand for Epichlorohydrin.