These brief notes attempt a ramblethrough the UK catalyst industry toopen a window on the historical andcomplex nature of catalysis in the UK,with views of the oil and catalystindustries, which will never be seenagain.

Catalysis is commercially attractiveas the returns to the operator of anactive process catalyst eclipse thecatalyst costs; therefore the developerobtains attractive margins. Thecommercial returns and market sizescan attract organisations with aninsufficient understanding of thecomplex technologies and commercesurrounding catalysis and this aspectis in part responsible for the demise ofUK catalysis in a market that takes nohostages.

In the late 1930s a developmentand commercial agreement was setup between IG Farben of Germany,MW Kellogg, Standard Oil NewJersey, and Standard Oil Indiana, toinitiate rapid development of refiningtechnologies and in particular the CatCracking technology of IGF. TheAnglo Iranian Oil Company (AIOC)applied to join and was admitted tothe group and developed PeterSpence HDS catalysts. In 1940, Shell,Standard Jersey, Texaco, StandardIndiana, UOP, and Kellogg agreed topool patents and resources and setup CRA Inc, with a special companyowned by Shell and Standard Jersey(Exxon), to handle business outsidethe USA. AIOC was not admitted as apartner as its technology wasconsidered inferior to that of CRAmembers. In 1942 the six CRA

companies set up the InternationalCatalytic Oil Processes Corp to grantto UOP and Kellogg the ability tolicense the catalytic refiningtechnology descending from the1930’s agreements.

In the post war period UOP formeda joint company with JohnsonMatthey to produce primarily UOPlicensed platinum-containing naphthareforming catalysts. This companywas Universal Matthey Products Ltd(UMP), located in Enfield/Brimsdownnext door to the JM Pt refining site. Inlater years UMP includedmanufacturing facilities in France forcatalysts and oilfield chemicals. Themanagement of UMP followed JMtraditions with three tiers of lunchdining rooms, with the senior andmiddle managers enjoying four-course waitress-served lunches,personal silver napkin rings and goldedged business cards. On theshoulders of the UOP reputation,UMP widened its horizons providingdevelopment and manufacturingfacilities for non-UOP technologiesand catalysts. In the UK theseincluded mordenite-based CatalyticDewaxing for BP ventures, ICI andEuropean refinery catalystdevelopments, MOD devices, UK GasBoard Fluid Bed and Gas RecycleHydrogenator (FBH&GRH)processes, xylenols catalysts, and arange of smaller scale developments.To support an agreement with TOTAL,covering refinery chemicals, thecompany had a wide range of pilotplants in Brimsdown and strong linksto ICI oilfields division. With its

A MONTHLY REPORT FROMALAN E COMYNS

MARCH 2012

In this issue

MARKETS AND BUSINESS 2-3

World enzymes forecastJapanese catalyst output

up 6%

COMPANY NEWS 3-5BASF to exit plant biotech in

EuropeDSM to enter biofuelsRhodia to obtain lanthanides

from China

NEW PLANTS 5-7Albemarle expands PE catalyst

manufacture in LA

NEW TECHNOLOGY 7Biofuels from seaweedNew uses for by-product

glycerol

PATENTS 7-8

BOOKSHELF 8

EVENTS 8

A HISTORY OF THE BRITISH CATALYST INDUSTRY: PART 1

C A T A L Y S T SFOCUS ON

AN INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER MONITORING TECHNICAL ANDCOMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND

USE OF CATALYSTS ISSN 1351–4180

CATALYSTS CATALYSTS CATALYSTS CATALYSTS CATALYSTS CATALYSTS

catalyst and chemicals activities, andUOP/JM associations, UMP enjoyed aunique position until the JM bankingfiasco in the 1980s when thecompany became 100% UOP.

The Peter Spence Companyplayed an important role in the historyof UK catalysts. The company wasfounded to produce aluminium basedchemicals for water treatment and inthe 1940s saw opportunities in thetransfer of its aluminium hydroxidetechnology to the catalyst industry.Between 1945 and 1960 the companyproduced a range of refining catalystsincluding silica-alumina for catalyticcracking, HDS, alumina, and nickel-alumina, and were internationallyactive. The company also producedthe BP selective hydrogenationcatalyst, based on nickel formate,alumina supports, and some earlywork on auto emission catalysts, andwas the major UK refining catalystmanufacturer.

The company was taken over byLaporte Industries in the early 1960sand whilst Laporte continued in thecatalyst business the emphasis shiftedtowards silica-alumina and specificallyzeolite molecular sieves, promoted bytheir association with UOP who haddeveloped a range of processes forrefinery and chemicals separations:Sorbex, Parex, Molex, Udex, etc.Laporte went on to develop a goodmordenite, probably because theycleaned it up with sulphuric (nothydrochloric) acid, and when Norton,USA, ceased production of ‘self-bonded mordenite’ for catalyticdewaxing the Laporte mordenite was acandidate to replace the supply. Theapplication never came to fruition asAllied Signal (UOP) and Union Carbideformed a jv essentially forcing Laporteout of the market. Judging from thereception to the announcement at theNPRA by Laporte management, thedeal was a complete surprise andeffectively sealed the fate of thisbusiness activity.

Pickford Holland gave birth toanother UK catalyst manufacturer ofnote. Pickford Holland was arefractory manufacturer, based inSheffield, with associations to the UKGas Board research group. The grouphad developed a nickel-urania steamreforming catalyst and turned toPickford Holland to further developand manufacture in commercialquantities, which they did. Pickford

Holland was bought out by anotherSheffield ceramics producer – J Dyson – and Dycat catalysts cameinto being as a manufacturer ofrefinery steam reforming catalysts.Dycat further developed a nickel-lanthanum formulation and, with thebenefit of a very active and able salesteam, these catalysts were acceptedand used internationally. Thetechnology however proved to beunattractive to a ceramics mindsetand Dycat was eventually traded off inreturn for ceramic wool.

To be continued.

Guest editorial from Dr Andrew Holt,Catal International, Sheffield, UK

E-mail: catal@catal.co.uk

MARKETS ANDBUSINESS

World enzymes to 2015 (Ref: 2824)

An industry study with forecasts for2015 and 2020. World enzymedemand is forecast to rise by 6.8%per year to $8 billion in 2015. 375 pp.Price $6100 (also sold in sections).

Freedonia Group, 767 Beta Drive, Cleveland, OH44143-2326, tel: +44 (0)684 9600, website:http://www.freedoniagroup.com (Dec 2011)

Betting on biorefining

Independent petroleum firm ValeroEnergy Corp has invested in variousbiorefining operations, which arefocused on producing a wide range offuels. One biorefining company thatreceived funding from Valero isTerrabon Inc. The firm is nowconcentrating efforts on scaling up atechnology that allows fermentation ofbiomass feedstock, mainly municipalsolid waste, into organic acids thatcan be further processed intochemicals and fuels. Terrabonestablished in 2009 a 150,000gallon/y demonstration plant and aimsto bring on stream a 5 M gallon/ycommercial plant by 2013. Valero isalso an investor in ZeaChem Inc,which employs a specializedmicroorganism to produce a variety ofchemicals and fuels from biomass.The company is now setting up a250,000 gallon/y demonstration unit,and intends to start development of a

25 M gallon/y commercial-scale plantin 2012. To date, Valero has alsomade investments in DarlingInternational’s Diamond Green Dieselproject, Mascoma Corp, SolixBiosystems, Mission NewEnergy Ltd,Algenol LLC, Enerkem Inc, andQteros Inc.

Original Source: Biorefining Magazine, Nov 2011(Website: http://www.biorefiningmagazine.com) © BBIInternational 2011

Biorefining sector poised forcommercial scale-up

Codexis Inc, Solazyme Inc, Gevo Inc,Amyris Fuels LLC and KiOR Inc areamong the biorefining companies thathave conducted successful initialpublic offerings (IPOs) in 2011. Thestring of IPOs has paved the way forthe biorefining sector to carry outmajor expansions in commercialproduction. In 2012, over 24companies have lined up significantundertakings. Several companies willbuild demonstration-scale facilities totest their technologies. Some willlaunch commercial-scale projects,with a number of companies startingup commercial-scale production. Thejoint 10 ktonne/y bio-based succinicacid plant of DSM NV and RoquetteFrères is slated to come online by 4Q2012. The companies are building theplant close to Roquette’s current plantin Cassano Spinola, Italy.

Original Source: Biorefining Magazine, Dec 2011(Website: http://www.biorefiningmagazine.com) © BBIInternational 2011

Japanese catalyst output and shipmentsrallying after two-year plunge

Japan’s catalyst output in Jan-Oct 2011was up 6% year on year to 89,153tonnes, while shipments rose 4% to84,006 tonnes, based on a report fromthe Japan Catalyst ManufacturersAssociation using Ministry of Economy,Trade and Industry trade statistics.Shipment value increased by 11% toYen 260.3 bn ($3.4 bn). A 40% jump invalues was respectively seen in the oilrefining and petrochemical productionapplications, buoyed by higher materialcosts. A table presents production andshipment volumes of catalysts, byapplication, in Jan-Oct 2011.

Original Source: Japan Chemical Web, 16 Jan 2012(Website: http://www.japanchemicalweb.jp) © TheChemical Daily Co Ltd 2012

2 MARCH 2012

F O C U S O N C A T A LY S T S