Union Carbide Successfully Launches Louisiana Butanol Unit

Union Carbide Corporation recently announced the successful start-up of the new 300-million-pound butanol unit at its Taft, LA petrochemicals complex. The company's total butanol capacity at Taft and Texas City, TX, is now 1.2 billion pounds.

A virtual duplicate of the Taft 1 unit brought on line in 1995, the new Taft 2 unit likewise uses the company's LP OXO technology. Construction on Taft 2 began in December 1997, and start-up was slightly ahead of schedule. The new plant, which will also produce a limited amount of isobutanol, will be ISO-9002 registered as part of the Taft facilities.

Union Carbide has been expanding capacity to support its worldwide solvents businesses.

Union Carbide's Solvents, Intermediates and Monomers group supplies one of the chemical industry's broadest product lines to the paints and coatings industry.

For more information: Michael E. Williams, Union Carbide Corporation. Tel: 203-794-3210.