UOP LLC to invest US$20 mln to expand its production of UOP IONSIV Ion Exchange adsorbents

07-Apr-12

UOP LLC will invest US$20 mln to expand its production facility in Mobile, Ala., to expand production of Honeywell's UOP IONSIV Ion Exchange adsorbents, which remove radioactive material from liquid. IONSIV Ion Exchanger adsorbents are crystalline materials that can selectively remove radioactive ions from liquids. At Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, these adsorbents are being used to reduce radioactive cesium to non-detectable levels in the plant's contaminated wastewater after the earthquake and tsunami last year. These materials have been used commercially for more than 30 years to remove radioactive ions from liquids, such as radioactive waste streams in commercial nuclear power plants, alkaline tank waste, and spent fuel storage pool water. The Mobile plant also produces Honeywell UOP ADS-47 Parex adsorbent, the latest generation of the company's Parex adsorbent. The new adsorbent allows petrochemical producers to increase yields of paraxylene by more than 20% over previous technology. The plant also produces catalysts that help petrochemical producers increase production while reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. "This investment helps us meet the demand for our newest advanced materials, as well as established products that are in demand by customers around the world," said Mike Millard, senior vice president and general manager for Honeywell's UOP Catalyst, Adsorbents and Specialties business. "We continue to invest in new technologies that will help meet refiners and petrochemical producers' needs for materials that offer more flexibility, increase production and lower cost." The expansion is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year.