STATE
OF
THE
U N I O N
BUSH TARGETS OIL President makes energy independence and science research prominent themes
T
H E U.S. MUST BREAK ITS A D -
diction to oil," increase federal spending on basic science research, and train more m a t h and science teachers to improve t h e nation's competitiveness, President G e o r g e W . Bush told Congress Tuesday night in his State of t h e Union Address. W i t h t h e price of oil close t o $70 a barrel, Bush called on lawmakers to boost research into "cutting-edge methods of producing ethanol, n o t just from corn, b u t from w o o d chips and stalks or switchgrass." T h e goal, he said, is t o m a k e fuel e t h a n o l "practical and competitive" w i t h i n six years. "Breakthroughs on this and other new technologies will help us reach another goal: to replace more t h a n 75% of our oil imports
from t h e M i d d l e East by 2025." Senate Energy & N a t u r a l R e sources C o m m i t t e e C h a i r m a n Pete V. D o m e n i c i (R-N.M.) endorsed t h e focus o n alternative energy, saying, "We aren't going to displace foreign oil next year, but the President is moving us in the right direction and he's picked up t h e pace." I n t h e D e m o c r a t s ' response to Bush's speech, Virginia Gov. Timothy M . Kaine called for stronger conservation measures. Bush also announced the American Competitiveness Initiative, w h i c h t h e W h i t e H o u s e said would commit $50 billion in new federal funding over 10 years for basic r e s e a r c h p r o g r a m s in t h e physical sciences and engineering. T h e funding, Bush said, will "supp o r t the work of America's most
creative m i n d s as t h e y explore p r o m i s i n g areas s u c h as n a n o technology, supercomputing, and alternative energy sources." T h e President urged Congress to make permanent the R & D tax credit to encourage bolder private-sector initiatives in technology, and he proposed training 70,000 h i g h school teachers over five years to lead advanced placement courses in m a t h and science. "The President is doing exactly t h e r i g h t t h i n g " in focusing o n research and education in science, m a t h , and engineering, said House Science Committee Chairman Sherw o o d L. Boehlert (R-N.Y.). " T h e nation needs new investments and n e w approaches in research and education if we are to remain competitive and prosperous."— GLENN HESS
B U S I N E S S
GLYCERIN SURPLUS
Traditional
Propylene
Plants are closing, and new uses for the chemical are being found
A
WORLDWIDE GLUT OF GLYC-
erin created as a by-product of manufacturing biodiesel fuel is precipitating the shutdown of traditional glycerin plants and t h e opening of other plants t h a t use glycerin as a raw material. T h e oversupply stems from government incentives in the U.S. a n d E u r o p e t h a t encourage use of biodiesel, a diesel alternative produced by reacting animal fats or vegetable oils w i t h methanol. Roughly 1 lb ofglycerin is generated for every 10 lb of biodiesel made. Solvay a n n o u n c e d plans last w e e k t o build a n e w e p i c h l o r o hydrin plant at its existing site in Tavaux, France, that will consume glycerin, rather t h a n propylene, as its key raw material. T h e Belgian company says the plant will open in t h e first half of 2 0 0 7 w i t h caWWW.CEN-0NLINE.ORG
pacity to make 10,000 metric tons of epichlorohydrin per year. It will be supplied w i t h glycerin "at an appropriate price" by the French biodiesel maker Diester Industrie. Epichlorohydrin is used to m a k e epoxy resins, paper-reinforcing agents, and other products. Solvay says its n e w p r o c e s s , w h i c h it calls Epicerol, is m a d e possible by a new class of catalysts and is covered by 11 patent applications. T h e U.S. agribusiness giant Archer Daniels Midland recently announced plans to make propylene glycol from glycerin, instead of propylene oxide, in a process that also employs advanced catalysts (C&EN, Jan. 9, page 32). F i r m s t h a t p r o d u c e glycerin, m e a n w h i l e , are reeling. D o w Chemical closed its glycerin plant in Freeport, Texas, on Jan. 31, citing
.CI
cu
HCL
Allyl chloride |CL2
Solvay HCL Catalyst
HCL
Dichloropropanol mixture N E W ROUTE Solvay's epichlorohydrin process cuts a step and reduces chlorinated byproducts.
JNaOH 0 *Cl + NaCL Epichlorohydrin
the flood of glycerin from biodiesel production. D o w still operates a glycerin plant in Germany. A n d Procter & Gamble Chemicals will shut down a natural glycerin refinery in W e s t T h u r r o c k , England, on M a r c h 31.—MICHAEL MCCOY
C&EN / FEBRUARY
6, 2 0 0 6
7
