Dow, a diversified global company, announced that its Oxygenated Solvents business has planned to expand the facility in Seadrift, Texas to increase production capacity of Butyl Glycol Ethers.
The expansion plan is a part of a debottleneck project, which includes two phases to boost the capacity of Butyl CARBITOL and Butyl CELLOSOLVE solvents by 15%. Phase 1 will be finished at the end of March 2012 and Phase 2 expansion will be completed in the fall of 2012.
The Global Business Director for Dow’s Oxygenated Solvents business, Mark Bassett, stated that the company has made major investments and the Seadrift debottleneck project is the first one. The expansion plan represents Oxygenated Solvents’ commitment to meet the increasing needs of its customers. The investments strengthen Dow’s position as a major supplier of oxygenated solvents and its commitment to the market, added Bassett.
Butyl Glycol Ethers, supplied by Dow, are exceptionally versatile solvents, which are primarily used as key raw materials in the production of oil and gas, inks, brake fluids, household and industrial cleaners, and coatings. These solvents have an outstanding balance of various physical properties, including 100% solubility, fast evaporation rate, a wide range of compatibility and high performance.
Dow combines science and technology to innovate and to address several challenging problems in the world. The company’s business portfolio includes specialty chemicals, plastics, agrosciences and advanced materials. Dow delivers a wide range of products and systems to its customers in various sectors, including coatings, energy, water, electronics and agriculture.