Vista Chemical

Products from the Chemicals Division, Procter Gamble Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1987 Mdol Tatty Mlcohols, Sherex Chemical Company, Dublin, Ohio, 1986 Vista Sufactants, Industrial Chemicals, andPlastics, Vista Chemical Company, Houston, Texas, 1987 TpalTinear Primary Mlcohols, Ethyl Corporation, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 1985 Neodol, Shell Chemical Company, Houston, Texas, 1987 HenkelTat Paw Materials, Henkel K.-G.a.A., Dbsseldorf, Eed. Rep. Germany. 

MSDSforMlfolMlcohols, Vista Chemical Company, Houston, Texas, 1984, 1985. 

This process is currentiy used by Vista Chemical, successor to Continental Oil Company s chemical business, and by Condea. In the Ethyl Corporation process dilute sulfuric acid is used in place of water in the hydrolysis step producing alum rather than alumina. 

The most recent report available on di- -octylphthalate lists three commercial producers Vista Chemical Company, Houston, Texas Aristech Chemical Corporation, Neville Island, Pennsylvania and Teknor Apex Company, Hebronville, Massachusetts and Brownsville, Texas (EPA 1993a). Additional reported producers include Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, New York (USITC 1994) Tenneco Chemical, Inc., Chestertown, Maryland (EPA 1987a) Alfa Products, Morton Thiokol, Inc., Danvers, Massachusetts Primachem, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey and GCA Chemical Corp., Stamford, Connecticut (HSDB 1995). Table 4-1 lists the U.S. facilities that manufacture or process di-w-octylphthalate. 

VISTA CHEMICAL CO. MS 100,000-999,999 Produce For on-site use/processing For sale/distribution As a formulation component... 

Considerable confusion exists in the literature about the TRI release reporting data and monitoring data available for di-ft-octylphthalatc and its more common branched isomer, di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (EPA 1992a Vista Chemical 1992). The confusion exists because the terms "dioctyl phthalate" and "DOP" are often used as synonyms for di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, which is the largest volume plasticizer used in PVC. Consequently, some of the historical release and monitoring data reported in the literature as "dioctyl phthalate" and "DOP" refer to the more common branched isomer rather than di-ft-octylphthalate. 

Di-ft-octylphthalate may be released to the atmosphere through volatilization of the compound from plastics, as a result of manufacturing processes, and through incineration (Vista Chemical 1992). 

Di-ft-octylphthalate also strongly adsorbs to soils and does not undergo leaching to groundwater, as indicated by its estimated soil organic carbon/water partition coefficient (Koc) of about 19,000. Volatilization from soils is not expected to be significant (HSDB 1994 Vista Chemical 1992). 

Di -u-octylphthalate released to the atmosphere may partition to soils and surface waters through wet (Ligocki et al. 1985) and dry (Vista Chemical 1992) deposition processes. 

The most important transformation process for di-w-octylphthalate present in the atmosphere as an aerosol is reaction with photochemically produced hydroxyl radicals. The half-life for this reaction has been estimated to be 4.5 14.8 hours (Howard et al. 1991). Actual atmospheric half-lives may be longer since phthalate esters sorbed to wind-entrained particulates may have long atmospheric residence times (Vista Chemical 1992). Direct photolysis in the atmosphere is not expected to be an important process (EPA 1993a HSDB 1995). 

Production, Import/Export, Use, Release, and Disposal. Because of the general confusion in the literature about the nomenclature for octylphthalate esters, historical information about the production and import/export of di- -octylphthalate is not readily available. These values generally must be estimated as a percentage of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate production or import/export. The compound is used principally as a plasticizer additive to plastics and PVC resins. It is also used as a dye carrier in plastics production and as a chemical intermediate (EPA 1993a HSDB 1995 Mannsville Chemical Products Corporation 1989 Sittig 1991). Limited information is available about releases of di-n-octylphthalate to environmental media. Even the TRI data, which comprise the most current information available, contain errors as a result of the nomenclature confusion (EPA 1993a Vista Chemical 1992). Data are available about the disposal and regulatory status of the compound (see Chapters 4 and 7). More information on the production and releases of di-ft-octylphthalate is needed to estimate potential exposure to the compound. 

Exposure Levels in Environmental Media. Reliable monitoring data for the levels of di- -octylphthalate in contaminated media at hazardous waste sites are needed so that the information obtained on levels of di-ra-octylphthalate in the environment can be used in combination with the known body burden of di-w-octylphthalate to assess the potential risk of adverse health effects in populations living in the vicinity of hazardous waste sites. Di-u-octylphthalate has been detected in ambient air, rain, surface water, groundwater, and sediment. However, as a result of the confusion about the nomenclature for octylphthalate esters, much of the historical monitoring data available actually pertain to the branched isomer, di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (Vista Chemical 1992). Therefore, little current information specific to the /1-octyl isomer is available regarding concentrations of the compound in foods, drinking water, and environmental media, particularly with respect to media at hazardous waste sites. The lack of monitoring data precludes the estimation of human exposure via intake of or contact with contaminated media. 

Vista Chemical Company. 1992. Petition to delist di-n-octylphthalate under Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986. Submitted to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Austin, TX. 

Charles M. Starks Vista Chemical Company Ponca City, OK 74602... 

Condea Vista Co. Lake Charles, La. 413 name changed from Vista Chemical Co., Inc. in 1996... 

Major divestments took place, particularly in the major thermoplastics, which were taken overby individual entrepreneurs who bought up the units the chemical giants wished to get rid of. As Hoechst, Union Carbide, Du Pont, Monsanto, ICI, and USS Chemicals withdrew from a number of the major oilbased intermediates as well as from polystyrene, polyethylene, and PVC, a number of large, hitherto unknown companies emerged Huntsman Chemical, El Paso Products, Aristech, Vista Chemical, Sterling Chemicals, and Cain Chemical. 

Likewise, it is because Du Pont, having spent 7.4 billion to acquire Conoco, sought to reduce its debts by selling part of Conoco s chemicals and also because Monsanto, ICI, and PPG were withdrawing from petrochemicals, that firms like Sterling Chemicals, Vista Chemical, and Cain Chemical have emerged since 1984. Cain Chemicals was itself to be taken over by Oxychem (Occidental Petroleum)... 

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