MOSCOW (MRC) -- ExxonMobil said it has increased production of critical raw materials for masks, gowns and hand sanitiser used by medical professionals and first responders leading the efforts to combat the global Covid-19 pandemic, according to Refining&Petrochemicals.
The company has increased its capability to manufacture specialised polypropylene (PP), used in medical masks and gowns, by about 1,000 tonnes per month, which is enough to enable production of up to 200 million medical masks, or 20 million gowns.
Monthly production of isopropyl alcohol - a key ingredient in many disinfectant and hand sanitiser products - has been increased by 3,000 tonnes, which is enough to enable production of up to 50 million 4-ounce bottles of medical-grade hand sanitiser.
"We are increasing our manufacturing capabilities to meet this critical need to help keep doctors, nurses and first responders healthy and safe," said Karen McKee, president of ExxonMobil Chemical Company. "Our team has been working around the clock, applying our engineering and technical know-how and working with our customers to make this happen. We are committed to doing our part to support the global response to the Covid-19 pandemic."
The additional PP will be made at sites in Baytown, Texas; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Singapore and help meet high demand for other critical hygiene and health care items. Production of isopropyl alcohol, also known as rubbing alcohol, is being maximised at the company’s site in Baton Rouge.
Meanwhile, the company is supporting development of innovative new products to help in the pandemic response. Working with the Global Center for Medical Innovation, ExxonMobil earlier this month announced multi-sector and joint-development projects to rapidly redesign and manufacture reusable personal protection equipment, such as face shields and masks, for health care workers.
As part of that effort, ExxonMobil is applying its deep knowledge and experience with polymer-based technologies, in combination with the centre, to facilitate development and expedite third-party production of safety equipment that can be sterilised and worn multiple times.
The centre is awaiting approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for a new face mask design, which features a replaceable cartridge system that includes a filtration fabric. When approved, production will begin immediately and could produce as many as 40,000 ready-to-use masks and filter cartridges per hour.
Given the unprecedented global pandemic, isopropyl alcohol and polypropylene are being prioritised at chemical manufacturing facilities; however, ExxonMobil anticipates it will continue to meet its contractual commitments to manufacture other chemical products.
As MRC informed before, in September 2019, ExxonMobil announced plans to spend GBP140 million over the next two years in an additional investment program at its Fife ethylene plant, which has a capacity of more than 800,000 t/y.
Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).
According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 557,060 tonnes in the first three month of 2020, up by 7% year on year. High density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) shipments rose because of the increased capacity utilisation at ZapSibNeftekhim. Demand for LDPE subsided. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market was 267,630 tonnes in January-March 2020, down 20% year on year. Homopolymer PP and PP block copolymers accounted for the main decrease in imports.
ExxonMobil is the largest non-government owned company in the energy industry and produces about 3% of the world's oil and about 2% of the world's energy.
MRC