POLYOLS AND NON IONIC SURFACTANTS

MFC Progetti process allows the polycondensation of ethylene and propylene oxide to obtain polyether polyols on different chain starters: polyols for flexible and semi-rigid polyurethane foams and polyols for rigid polyurethane foams or for cross-linking agents can be obtained. Other similar processes permit to obtain nonionic surfactants as ethoxylated and propoxylated adducts on different chain starters like fatty alcohols, polyoxydrilic alcohols, alkylphenol, glycols, fatty acids, esters, amines and amides nonionic surfactants. One Enhanced Loop Reactor, has been developed by a cooperation between MFC Progetti and the Italian Company Pressindustria Spa; for more detail please visit PRESSINDUSTRIA web site (see our Partner).
The polyether polyols find their application in any type of polyurethane foams obtained by one shot or by spray process, for slab-stocks, hot molded foams or cold-cure.

The nonionic surfactants find their application as detergents, cleaners, chemicals for the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, food and agrochemical industry and as auxiliaries for the textile, fibers, paints, lacquers, plastics, pulp and paper, leather, fur and cement production, oil extraction and recovery, flotation for mining.

MFC Progetti can also design and supply the following auxiliary units:

* polyol systems preparation;
* ethylene and propylene oxide vents blow-down;
* ethylene and propylene oxide storage facilities;
* chain starter and final product storages;
* pilot and laboratory plants.

The main advantages of MFC Progetti are:

* Very high reaction speed and very low level of dissolved oxide in the liquid phase.
* High reproducibility of results.
* Narrow molecular weight distribution.
* Low content of by-products coming from secondary reactions (i.e. polyglycols and unsaturated compound) as a consequence of high yield of the main reaction.
* Nearly quantitative yield of the main reaction (polyols versus raw material: ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, chain starters), the total yield in the reaction unit can vary between 99.5 and 99.9% according to the raw material purity. In the subsequent finishing unit losses occur, partly due to the degassing operation for removal of possible unreacted propylene oxide, and partly to the product retained by the filter panel.
* Very safe reaction conditions:
Mainly because of high solubility of propylene oxide into a liquid phase and therefore the level of danger of propoxylation is emphasized when performed into a conventional stirred reactor, MFC Progetti process was developed after a thorough investigation on the causes of heavy and sometimes lethal accidents having frequently occurred to conventional ethoxylation/propoxylation plants in the past.

Main safety aspects of MFC Progetti process are:

* extremely low unreacted oxide amount in the liquid phase;
* no rotating parts in contact with the oxide gas phase;
* high conductivity of the atmosphere in the static gas-liquid-contactor, preventing electrostatic charges;
* impossibility of back flow of catalyzed chain starter to the oxide storage tank.