Page 156 - CW E-Magazine (7-5-2024)

News from Abroad

ADVANCED MATERIALS
Mitsubishi Corp. and Denka to co-develop fullerene

business

Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) and layer in perovskite solar cells, which acquired a substance and other fullerene
Denka Company Ltd. (Denka) have are garnering attention as next-gene- related patents, MC is committed to
entered into a joint venture agreement ration photovoltaic technology. applying its multi-industry collective
in the business of fullerenes. capabilities towards FCC’s future growth
Under the terms of the agreement, and development,” the company said
Fullerenes are nanoscale allo- Denka shall acquire from MC a 50% in a statement.
tropes of carbon, whose single or dou- stake in Frontier Carbon Corporation
ble-bonded atoms are joined together in (FCC), a company dedicated to the Denka has strengths that could
hexagonal rings in spherical form. They manufacturing and sales of fullerenes. prove invaluable in supporting FCC’s
have excellent conductive and thermal future growth, including carbon-nano-
properties and can be dissolved in com- Since establishing FCC in 2001, material expertise and manufacturing
mon organic solvents at room tempera- MC has leveraged tech-based colla- technologies it has built up through its
ture, which makes them effective con- borations with longstanding customers, mass production of acetylene black, a
ductors in organic, thin-film solar cells. built a sales network, and otherwise highly conductive carbon material used
Research is also underway into their made strong inroads into the commer- in high-voltage cables and lithium-ion
application as an electron transporting cial-use fullerene market. “Having batteries.
PROCESS LICENSE
KBR’s phenol tech selected by SABIC Fujian

Petrochemicals

Technology licensor KBR has been final investment decision (FID) for this petitive advantage and advances their
awarded a contract by SABIC Fujian project was announced in January 2024 sustainability objectives through su-
Petrochemicals to license KBR’s mar- with expected completion in FY 2026. perior efficiency, reliability, wastewa-
ket-leading phenol technology in China. ter recovery and performance,” said
KBR’s phenol technology offers a Mr. Jay Ibrahim, President, KBR Sus-
Under the terms of the contract, sustainable and differentiated solution tainable Technology Solutions.
KBR will provide technology licens- through reduced energy consumption
ing and proprietary engineering design and improved yields, the company said. KBR has offered its phenol techno-
for a 250-ktpa phenol plant at SABIC’s “KBR’s market-leading phenol tech- logy for more than six decades, complet-
Fujian Petrochemical Complex. The nology increases our customers’ com- ing more than 50 projects worldwide.

STRATEGIC AGREEMENT
BASF to supply Youyi with acrylates from Zhanjiang

BASF has signed a Letter of Intent Youyi, a leading producer specia- fully backward integrated production
(LoI) with Youyi Group (Youyi) on lizing in BOPP tape and expanding facilities for BA and 2-EHA at Zhan-
April 22, 2024 focusing on the supply into specialty tape, has established jiang.
of butyl acrylate (BA) and 2-ethylhexyl multiple production bases across
acrylate (2-EHA) from BASF’s Zhan- China. The company is currently con- The acrylic acid complex at the
jiang Verbund site to meet the growing structing a new plant in Guangdong Zhanjiang is planned to come on stream
demand in China’s adhesive materials for the production of BOPP films and by 2025 with a capacity of 400-ktpa of
industry. tapes, while BASF is also building BA and 100-ktpa of 2-EHA.

156 Chemical Weekly May 7, 2024

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