BP Chemical

A = Aristech Chemical B = BP Chemicals Ce = Celanese Cy = CYRO Industries Do = Dow Chemical Du = Du Pont E = Eastman Chemical G = General Electric R = Rohm Haas S = Shell Chemical U = Union Carbide... 

Material Safety Data Sheet ISlumherl386, BP Chemicals Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, 1989. 

The product secondary alcohols from paraffin oxidation are converted to ethylene oxide adducts (alcohol ethoxylates) which are marketed by Japan Catalytic Chemical and BP Chemicals as SOFTANOL secondary alcohol ethoxylates. Union Carbide Chemical markets ethoxylated derivatives of the materials ia the United States under the TERGlTOL trademark (23). 

Rulk Storage of Formic Hcid, BP Chemicals, Ltd., London, 1990. 

Union Carbide, ICI, Nippon Oil, Mobay, BASF, BP Chemical... 

The UCB collection and refining technology (owned by BP Chemicals (122,153—155)) also depends on partial condensation of maleic anhydride and scmbbing with water to recover the maleic anhydride present in the reaction off-gas. The UCB process departs significantly from the Scientific Design process when the maleic acid is dehydrated to maleic anhydride. In the UCB process the water in the maleic acid solution is evaporated to concentrate the acid solution. The concentrated acid solution and condensed cmde maleic anhydride is converted to maleic anhydride by a thermal process in a specially designed reactor. The resulting cmde maleic anhydride is then purified by distillation. 

Prior to 1975, reaction of mixed butenes with syn gas required high temperatures (160—180°C) and high pressures 20—40 MPa (3000—6000 psi), in the presence of a cobalt catalyst system, to produce / -valeraldehyde and 2-methylbutyraldehyde. Even after commercialization of the low pressure 0x0 process in 1975, a practical process was not available for amyl alcohols because of low hydroformylation rates of internal bonds of isomeric butenes (91,94). More recent developments in catalysts have made low pressure 0x0 process technology commercially viable for production of low cost / -valeraldehyde, 2-methylbutyraldehyde, and isovaleraldehyde, and the corresponding alcohols in pure form. The producers are Union Carbide Chemicals and Plastic Company Inc., BASF, Hoechst AG, and BP Chemicals. 

The primary benzene producers in the United Kingdom ate Shell Chemicals UK, Imperial Chemical Industries PLC, and BP Chemicals Ltd. These three companies have a combined armual capacity of over 1,100,000 t. 

Acetone Cyanohydrin. This cyanohydrin, also known as a-hydroxyisobutyronitnle and 2-methyUactonitrile [75-86-5], is very soluble in water, diethyl ether, and alcohol, but only slightly soluble in carbon disulfide or petroleum ether. Acetone cyanohydrin is the most important commercial cyanohydrin as it offers the principal commercial route to methacrylic acid and its derivatives, mainly methyl methacrylate [80-62-6] (see Methacrylic acid AND derivatives). The principal U.S. manufacturers are Rohm and Haas Co., Du Pont, CyRo Industries, and BP Chemicals. Production of acetone cyanohydrin in 1989 was 582,000 metric tons (30). 

Over the years with the different editions 1 have received help from very many companies concerned with the production of plastics materials and from very many individuals. For this edition I should specifically like to thank Susan Davey, Academic Information Services Manager of the University of North London, Rebecca Dolbey and Ray Gill of Rapra Technology Ltd, Peter Lewis of the Open University, Simon Robinson of European Plastics News, Christopher Sutcliffe of Crystal Polymers Ltd and Graham Bonner of BP Chemicals. 

Figure 7-8. The ethylene oxide plant after the fire and explosioti. (Photo courtesy of BP Chemicals Limited.)...

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