Organic chemicals - leading technologies for polymer and fibre intermediates

For decades now, ThyssenKrupp Uhde has been a leading force in the construction of plants for the production of organic chemicals, particularly feedstocks for polymers and fibres. Supported by licensors of international acclaim and renowned partners from the worldwide chemical industry, such as Vinnolit, Shell and Degussa, we are able to provide our customers with premium processes in a variety of fields.

Through close cooperation with our licensor Vinnolit, we have over the years become the leading supplier of VCM and EDC plants. EDC is used to produce VCM, which is the feedstock for polyvinyl chloride (PVC). With a cumulative annual capacity of almost 8 million tonnes of EDC and nearly 5 million tonnes of VCM since entering these fields in the 1960s, ThyssenKrupp Uhde now has a market share of approx. 40% in EDC and is also fast becoming a leader in VCM.

In conjunction with its licensor Vinnolit, ThyssenKrupp Uhde has recently developed to market maturity a new process for the direct chlorination of EDC at high temperature - the Vinnolit-Uhde boiling reactor technology. The first industrial-scale plant to use this process is currently under construction in Belgium.

Another new process in ThyssenKrupp Uhde's technology portfolio is the environment-friendly and co-product-free production of propylene oxide (PO) from propylene and hydrogen peroxide. This new process was developed in conjunction with Degussa. The basic engineering for the first industrial PO plant to use this process has now been completed. Propylene oxide is a basic chemical with high growth rates. It is mainly used for the production of polyurethane intermediates.