Mitsubishi Will Use Sasol Technology For n-Butanol

Sasol (Johanesburg, South Africa) has reached agreement with Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. (MCC), through the coordination of Mitsubishi Corp., for the licensing of technology to produce normal-butanol in South Africa. MCC will license its technology to Sasol for a production capacity of 150,000 tons/yr of normal-butanol. A basic engineering study for the plant, conducted by Mitsubishi Chemical Engineering Corp. (a subsidiary of MCC) and Sasol Technology will commence soon. The plant, to be built at Sasol's existing petrochemicals-from-coal operations in Secunda, is expected to be commissioned by the middle of 2001. The capital cost of the production facility will be confirmed by the engineering study.

Sasol Solvents, a division of Sasol Chemical Industries, has established itself firmly in the global oxygenated solvents business. The division markets oxygenated solvents such as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, ethanol, normal-propanol and a range of alcohol blends such as Ethylol, Propylol and Sabutol in more than 80 countries across the world.

MCC has over the years developed and refined its in-house oxo-alcohol technology, achieving world recognition in this area. They anticipate that the licensing of their technology to Sasol will serve as catalyst for further mutually beneficial cooperation.