ADM Plans Green Production for USP-Grade Propylene Glycol

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Archer s Midland Company is bringing on line a new propylene glycol plant

in Decatur, Illinois, in the fourth quarter

of 2009. The plant will produce industrial-grade and United States Pharmacopeia

(USP)-grade propylene glycol, which

may be used as an excipient in pharmaceutical products.

The plant's capacity is 100,000 metric tons, which represents approximately 12%

of the US capacity for propylene glycol

for 2010, according to the company. The Decatur plant is ADM's first propylene

glycol plant, and the company says it is the

first worldwide propylene glycol plant that manufactures a grade of USP-grade

propylene glycol from renewable sources.

ADM's renewable propylene glycol is derived from soybeans or rapeseeds. The

company processes soybeans or

rapeseeds through a crushing, dehulling process, conditioning, and flaking

operation into a crude vegetable oil. This

vegetable oil is further processed into degummed or refined oil. The vegetable

oil is processed through a transesterfication

process into crude biodiesel and crude glycerin. The crude glycerin is further

processed through several evaporation and

distillation steps into a refined, kosher, USP-grade glycerin. This glycerin is

either sold into the market or reacted through

ADM's hydrogenolysis process into propylene glycol. The propylene glycol is

further distilled into an industrial grade or a

USP grade of propylene glycol.

In addition to manufacturing propylene glycol from glycerin, ADM has the

capability to manufacture propylene glycol via

sorbitol. Sorbitol is also a renewable-based feedstock that ADM produces through

its corn milling process.

Source: Archer s Midland Company

Archer s Midland CompanyArcher s Midland Company