OREANDA-NEWS. November 10, 2010. The company Sibur-Khimprom held a ceremonial launch for three interrelated products – Alphapor™ ethylbenzene, styrene and expandable polystyrene . The total investment in the renovation and construction of new capacity was more than 8 billion rubles.

A new plant for the production of ethylbenzene with a capacity of 220 thousand tonnes per year was built under license from the U.S. firm The Badger Licensing LLC. The application of modern technologies based on zeolite catalysts can completely stop the release into the atmosphere of hydrogen chloride and aromatic hydrocarbons, as well as the pollution of wastewater with chlorides, aluminum salts and phenols. The current installation for the production of ethylbenzene using outdated technology with a capacity of 120 thousand tonnes per year will soon be decommissioned.

The reconstruction of the styrene production facility gave an increase in productivity of 100,000 tonnes per year to 135,000 tonnes per year. During reconstruction, production was transferred to vacuum dehydration thereby reducing consumption of the raw material – ethylbenzene, as well as reducing energy consumption.

The new production of Alphapor™ expandable polystyrene with a capacity of 50,000 tonnes was built by the Austro-Norwegian technology company Sunpor. The new product of European quality will be produced in Russia for the first time. Until now the main bulk of the polymer materials were imported from Europe and Asia, including in the form of finished products. Current production is intended for a wide range of products, including energy efficient building insulation, retained formwork, and packaging for household appliances and foodstuffs.

All the brands of expandable polystyrene meet stringent European standards for fire safety, grain composition, density and physical-mechanical characteristics. The brands of expandable polystyrene designed for the manufacture of building insulation will necessarily contain flame retardants preventing the spread of fire.

The safety of Alphapor™, a material of organic origin consisting of 98% air, is directly dependent on the use of licensed products and strict adherence to building codes.

"The company provides comprehensive solutions for the rational use of associated gas, using products created from it to produce materials in demand in the marketplace," said Dmitry Konov, President of Sibur. "The new Alphapor™ polymer insulation, manufactured under European license, increases the energy efficiency of housing when properly used. In addition, the technological updating of the Perm site substantially reduces the negative impact on the environment."