"Impact" Technology--Greenest Polyol Production Process

This was a bullet point on Dick Good's powerpoint slides way back in 1997 . . .

Innovative technology makes a positive impact on polyol production
Technical presentation by Bayer MaterialScience LLC scientist highlights the significant environmental and productivity improvements made possible with IMPACT™ technology
July 9, 2009 Pittsburgh, July 9, 2009 — IMPACT™ technology from Bayer MaterialScience LLC is a "greener" alternative to conventional polyol production processes. Jack Reese, manager of polyether process development, Bayer MaterialScience LLC, recently highlighted the environmental and productivity improvements that are possible with this technology in a technical presentation, IMPACT™ Technology: A Greener Polyether Process, at the 13th Annual Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference, in College Park, Md. The theme of this year's conference was "Innovating for the Future: Progress on the Grand Challenges in the Chemical Enterprise." The presentation, which was also authored by Ken McDaniel, Robert Lenahan, Robert Gastinger and Mark Morrison – all of Bayer MaterialScience – took place during the New Focuses in Green Chemistry session. During the presentation, Reese described the dramatic improvements experienced by Bayer MaterialScience's Channelview, Texas, plant, including the elimination of 75 million pounds of wastewater and an 80 percent reduction in energy consumption, which equates to a yearly reduction of about 54 million pounds of CO2. According to the scientists, the key to the process is a combination of a catalyst invention and an innovative process design. The continuous process developed from these inventions replaces a semi-batch process that has been the industry standard for 50 years. The initial invention was the development of a catalyst that is more than ten times as reactive as other catalysts in this class and a thousand times more reactive than conventional catalysts. This was coupled with the design of a novel process based on a unique catalyst characteristic by which low molecular weight materials react preferentially in a mixture of molecular weights. The combination of these two inventions results in a process with little or no waste. The continuous process saves energy by eliminating the heat-up cycle of the semi-batch process and further eliminates the energy and waste normally associated with catalyst removal. "Recent milestones of a billion pounds of production using the continuous process in the U.S. and completion of technology licensing to major competitors has established IMPACT™ technology as the industry standard for environmental savings and productivity," said Reese. "The technology is being considered for implementation worldwide as plants are being upgraded or constructed, increasing the positive effects on the environment, which include energy reductions, carbon dioxide equivalents reductions and waste elimination." http://www.bayermaterialsciencenafta.com/news/index.cfm?mode=detail&id=604A0F28-C28E-B27C-54D5991DB7C07C8B