Invista and partner Solvay will deploy new adiponitrile (ADN) technology at their Butachimie joint-venture plant in Chalampé, France. The advanced process technology will be retrofitted during a plant turnaround scheduled during the second quarter of 2019. Invista said the Butachimie plant is the largest ADN facility in the world.

The technology has already been deployed and proven at Invista’s plant in Orange, Texas, USA, where the Kansas-based nylon company said it has improved product yields, reduced energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, enhanced process stability and lowered capital intensity compared to existing processes.

Bill Greenfield, president of Invista Intermediates, said the technology’s performance has exceeded expectations. “Since beginning commercial operation of this technology in 2014, we’ve demonstrated improved yield, reliability and record production rates at Orange,” he said.

Invista will also implement the ADN technology at its nylon intermediates facility in Victoria, Texas, USA. Installation is currently scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2020, although plans remain subject to final internal and regulatory approvals.

“We expect the combined increase in production capacity from deploying our technology in these existing facilities will be similar to that of a new ADN plant,” said Greenfield.

The company has also received strong interest in China from customers and others in the value chain seeking to participate with Invista in building a new ADN manufacturing facility at the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park. Invista, which opened a 215,000 t/y hexamethylene diamine (HMD) plant and a 150,000 t/y polymer plant at the site in 2016, said it is currently assessing the proposal.