Page 22 - Plastics News April 2021

CompAny news

Lotte GS Chemical selects BOSK Bioproducts given funding

Honeywell technology by Canadian Government

otte GS Chemical Corp. will use Honeywell UOP anada-based packaging company BOSK Bioproducts
LQ-Max™, Phenol 3G, and Evonik MSHP technologies to Chas received funding from the Canadian Government
produce more than 565 000 tpy of phenol and acetone as part of its Bioplastics Challenge.The C$1m ($795,700)
at its petrochemicals facility in Yeosu, Korea. UOP is investment was announced by Liberal MP Joël
providing a license for the technology, in addition to basic Lightbound on behalf of Canada’s Natural Resources
Minister Seamus O’Regan Jr. In the challenge’s first
phase, BOSK created a bioplastic made from paper mill
sludge and wood fibre residue. The bioplastic, which
the company claims is highly compostable and cost-
effective, can be used in 3D printing, food packaging,
plastic bottles and cosmetics containers. BOSK will
use its funding to install a small-scale production line
for prototyping compostable bioplastics formulations
made from forest biomass. These will be developed
at the National Research Council Canada (NRC). The
production line will also enable product formulation
and ensure products are more compatible with existing
engineering design services, key equipment, catalysts industry manufacturing equipment. Innovation, Science
and adsorbents and technical services. As part of the and Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne
project, UOP will provide a cumene unit and a phenol said: “The government is dedicated to supporting
unit with alpha-methylstyrene (AMS) hydrogenation. The entrepreneurs and small businesses. It is becoming
combined technologies will allow Lotte GS Chemical to increasingly important to invest in sustainable solutions
produce phenol and acetone derivatives from benzene that will support not only our economy but also
and polymer-grade propylene. “Global demand for our environment. “When the government invests in
plastics and resins such as polystyrene, styrenic resin, innovative and sustainable work from small businesses
polycarbonate and phenolic resin is driving the need for like BOSK, it supports the economy, helps build
aromatic derivatives,” said Bryan Glover, Vice President
and General Manager of Honeywell UOP’s Process
Technologies business. “By increasing the production of
phenol and acetone, Lotte raises its market position in
high-margin petrochemicals and contributing to the global
supply.” Cumene is the primary building block for making
phenol and its derivatives. UOP’s Q-Max process converts
benzene and propylene into high-quality cumene at low
benzene-to-propylene ratios using regenerable catalysts
that maximise cumene yield, lower utility consumption
and minimise capital requirements for downstream
fractionation equipment.The UOP Phenol 3G unit converts
cumene into phenol and acetone with high yields and Canadian technological leadership and contributes to
product quality, and low utility consumption. The phenol Canada’s fight against global warming.” BOSK general
and acetone products are converted into plastics and other manager Laurence Boudreault said: “The contributions
related materials, including bisphenol-A, a building block from the NRC and the government were the kick-off
for polycarbonate plastics, and phenolic resins used to to carry out our project, allowing us to rally various
make durable laminated boards and industrial adhesives. players in the private and public sectors around a
common objective.

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