MOSCOW (MRC) -- The board of directors at TPC Group, a leading provider of C4 based products and services, has approved funds for the front-end engineering and design (FEED) to finalize the design and cost estimate to install a third polyisobutylene (PIB) production unit, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.
This project is targeted to satisfy future industry growth, mainly resulting from anticipated changes in fuel and lubricant additive standards beginning in the second half of 2017.
These higher standards are driving substantial growth in demand for highly-reactive polyisobutylene, which TPC Group manufactures using its proprietary process.
TPC says it is in discussions with customers regarding definitive off-take commitments for its third line.
In parallel with its third production unit engineering work, TPC continues to debottleneck its PIB capacity. Capacity has increased more than 20% since 2012 with significant progress made in 2014, according to company officials.
Additional debottlenecking efforts are continuing in 2015. This debottlenecking effort is targeted to supply the current and near-term needs of customers in the lubricant additives, sealants, adhesives and industrial lubricants segments.
TPC Group first entered the PIB industry in May 2000 with the startup of its patented process to produce a wide range of PIB products.
As MRC informed earlier, in summer 2014, PC Group and Honeywell's UOP entered into an agreement for UOP to be the exclusive licensor of the proprietary TPC Group OXO-D technology used to produce on-purpose butadiene, a key ingredient for making synthetic rubber.
TPC Group Inc. is a leading producer of value-added products derived from niche petrochemical raw materials such as C4 hydrocarbons, and provider of critical infrastructure and logistics services along the Gulf Coast region. TPC Group sells its products into a wide range of performance, specialty and intermediate markets, including synthetic rubber, fuels, lubricant additives, plastics and surfactants.
MRC