DATE : 2015-08-27
Germany-based chemicals producer Evonik has canceled plans to build a methyl methacrylate (MMA) plant in Alabama, the company said on Thursday.
Evonik had planned to construct a 120,000 tonne/year MMA facility in Mobile, Alabama. Announced in 2012, the plant was scheduled to come online in mid-2015.
As the target date passed, market sources said the company had delayed commencement of the project.
The company has now confirmed the project has been canceled following a strategic review. It did not provide further explanation.
The new facility was to be the first to utilize the company’s Aveneer production process, which is said to provide greater yields without the use of sulphuric acid.
Evonik currently operates an MMA facility in Fortier, Louisiana, with an annual production capacity of 150,000 tonnes/year, according to ICIS data. The company also has MMA plants in Germany and China.
MMA is a liquid monomer used primarily to produce resins and acrylic polymers. It is used in the production of acrylic sheeting and in surface coatings.
Major US producers of MMA include Arkema, Dow Chemical, Evonik and Lucite.
SOURCE Icis News
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Jean-Marc Bourget
Some additional information about thie decision of Evonik and about the aveneer process provided by Solvay Blog Competitive Intelligence blog (J Spiel)
Evonik Industries shelves US 120 kt/yr MMA project announced in 2012, due to uncertain market conditions.
This announcement comes shortly after Evonik confirmed that it is carrying out a strategic review of its Performance Materials segment, which includes MMA.
Evonik developed the Aveneer technology on a pilot plant at Worms in Germany. The process, like the traditional ACH sulfo process, is based on ammonia, methane, acetone and methanol, but does not with the sulfuric acid normally used.
The process is claimed to have an overall yield of 95%, with an acetone cyanohydrin yield up to 10% greater than existing processes.
It is in direct competition with the latest ethylene-based Lucite Alpha technology (part of Mitsubishi Rayon since 2009). Mitsui and Mitsubishi Rayon signed a MOU in June 2014 to start a feasibility study of a 250 kt/yr MMA plant in USA in June 2014.