New Sasol O&S tri-ethyl aluminium production plant proves concept

Hamburg, Germany – Sasol Olefins&Surfactants (O&S) announced today that it has reached an important milestone in the expansion of its capabilities with the production of its new ALCAT®TEAL highly purified tri-ethyl aluminium product.

Production at the new TEAL plant in Brunsbüttel, Germany, which went on-line in June 2012, has been running smoothly for nearly a year. The full functionality of the supply chain has been proven with successful product supplies to such customers as Sasol Polymers in South Africa. Importantly, Sasol O&S has now obtained further approvals for the use of ALCAT®TEAL in applications such as the Novolen process, a leading polypropylene gas-phase technology.

The new facility in Brunsbüttel, Germany, has an initial annual TEAL production capacity of 6,000 tonnes. Thanks to Sasol O&S’ more than 50-year experience in dealing with aluminium alkyls, adherence to the highest safety standards was guaranteed from the start. By applying its unique know-how to the complete logistics chain from production to global customer deliveries, Sasol O&S has provided for seamless container rotation.

“With the existing local infrastructure and expertise, particularly in handling special chemicals, our Brunsbüttel plant is in an ideal position to produce TEAL reliably and in high quality and quantities, offering our global customers maximum product and supply security. With our latest approvals for the application of ALCAT®TEAL and our proven logistics chain we are ready to serve this growing global market for years to come,” Eric Stouder, General Manager Organics at Sasol O&S said.

ALCAT®TEAL is used as a co-catalyst in the production of polyethylene and polypropylene, and also as a reactive intermediate in the manufacturing of linear alpha olefins (LAO).