Dow and Johnson Matthey have won a contract to supply their LP Oxo technology for producing isononyl alcohol (INA) to Zibo Qixiang Tengda Chemical (QXTD) in China.

“QXTD will be the first in the industry to take advantage of our process technology for more sustainable INA production,” said Donna Babcock, global business director for Dow’s Industrial Solutions business. “This technology requires a smaller manufacturing footprint and less energy consumption compared to typical INA production processes, without a loss in efficiency and throughput.”

The 200,000 t/y plant will be built at QXTD’s integrated petrochemical complex in Zibo City and is expected to go online in 2023.

INA is used to make the plasticizers diisononyl phthalate (DINP), diisononyl adipate (DINA) and triisononyl trimellitate (TINTM). Primarily used in the PVC industry, products made with INA can be found in automotive, wire, cable and conducting applications, among others.

Zhang Jin, chairman of Cedar Holdings, QXTD’s parent group, added:  “This licensed process will differentiate us in the industry as we are able to bring new INA volume online to enable downstream products with improved health and environmental profiles."

Johnson Matthey said the contract marks the 56^th license of LP Oxo technology in partnership with Dow.