11 April 2007

Sasol today announced that it is to proceed with construction of a second Methyl Isobutyl Ketone (MIBK) production plant in Sasolburg, South Africa. MIBK is manufactured from acetone and hydrogen and is used as a solvent in surface coating, adhesives and pharmaceuticals.

MIBK is also used in the manufacture of rubber additives used in vehicle tyres. Global demand for MIBK is about 350 000 tons per year.

 

"The new plant will double MIBK output at Sasolburg to a capacity of almost 60 000 tons per year and will make Sasol the second largest producer in the world. The plant is expected to come on stream in the first half of 2009 and the increased output will significantly enhance our ability to support a growing global customer base," says Dr Reiner Groh, Group General Manager, Sasol Chemical Businesses.

"This investment is a further manifestation of Sasol’s strategy to expand its chemicals businesses alongside its growth in gas-to-liquids (GTL) and coal-to-liquids (CTL)," he says.

 

Technology for the new plant is proprietary to Sasol and includes some improvements to the technology used in the existing plant. Feedstock will be backward integrated into upstream production activities.

 

Sasol Solvents, a Sasol chemicals business unit, is a leading producer of a broad range of solvents including acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, MIBK, isopropyl alcohol, ethanol, butanol and ethyl acetate.

last updated: 11 Apr 2007