On Sept. 24th, chemical company Oxxynova GmbH completed the biggest inspection shut-down of the last 40 years on schedule, and successfully resumed production of its main product, DMT.
Dimethylterephthalate, or DMT for short, is a precursor for plastics obtained from p-xylene, methanol and air under the influence of a catalyst.
DMT is used as a starting substance for the production of linear, crystallisable polyesters that can be stretched when cold. It is primarily combined with ethylene glycol to obtain polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or with butanediol to obtain polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), which are then further processed to produce continuous filaments, staple fibres, foils, films and moulding compounds. DMT can also be used with monohydric alcohols to produce terephthalate esters, which are used as plasticisers. One such example is the transesterification of DMT with 2-ethylhexanol to obtain dioctyl terephthalate (DOTP)...
In addition to liquid DMT, Oxxynova also produces dimethyl terephthalate in solid form. Unlike the liquid variant, which is a hot product due to its high melting point and is therefore classified as hazardous material, solid DMT is easier to handle and transport.
Solid DMT is obtained from cooled liquid DMT that is cast into a briquette mould to create small, briquette-like shapes, or broken down into small flakes...
SOLID DIMETHYL TEREPHTHALATE (SOLID DMT)
CAS NO. 68988-22-7
BME technical is a mixture of by-products from the DMT production process. Depending on the operating parameters, the proportions of the individual components vary within the specified concentration ranges...
DMI is a mixture of by-products from the DMT production process. Depending on the operating parameters, the proportions of the individual components vary within the specified concentration ranges...
Oxxynova has offered distillative recycling of chemical side-streams since 2011.
For more than 30 years now, Oxxynova has been taking methanol back from many of its DMT customers as a contaminated material, processing it, and reusing it in its own DMT production process. Now, in recent years Oxxynova has been very successful in gradually developing its distillative recycling of glycols and tetrahydrofuran side-streams as a second area of business.
The side-streams that are generated by chemical processes can be recycled in a dedicated contract distillation process, or in a pool. The purchase of a side-stream and independent marketing of the distillate by Oxxynova and its distribution partners is also a possibility...
DMT is also used in the production of 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM), a constituent of copolyesters, and for the production of the phthalate-free plasticiser dioctyl terephthalate (DOTP).
As a monopolist, Oxxynova supplies liquid and solid DMT not just within Europe but also to the global plastics industry. The maximum production capacity of 240,000 t is sold exclusively on the free market. For some years now, the company has also offered distillative recycling of chemical side-streams generated in processes using glycols (1,4-butanediol – BDO, monoethylene glycol – MEG, triethylene glycol – TEG, methanol (MeOH) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) in accordance with the German Circular Economy Act (Kreislaufwirtschaftgesetz).
A medium-sized company with a long history, Oxxynova operates from a self-contained industrial site in Steyerberg, Lower Saxony, placing a special focus on sustainability and environmental compatibility and fostering a space that allows for growth.
