Invista (Wichita, Kan.) is licensing its nitrous oxide (N2O) abatement technology at three adipic acid production facilities in China; those licenses will help companies in the automotive industry achieve material supply chain emissions reductions.
Abatement of the N2O emitted in the production of adipic acid (AA), which is a key ingredient for the nylon 6,6 used in vehicles and vehicle parts, at these three facilities is estimated to achieve emissions reductions of approximately 30 million tons of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) per year1, following deployments expected over the next few years.
INVISTA has been a global leader in the development of N2O abatement technology for more than two decades, having deployed and improved abatement capabilities at multiple AA facilities – both former and existing – since the late 1990s. That technology will now be built into the design of three facilities in China.
“INVISTA’s N2O abatement technology plays a key role in helping customers make meaningful progress toward their goals,” said Francis Murphy, Chief Executive Officer of INVISTA. “As industries, particularly the automotive industry, continue to focus on the emissions of both their own operations and associated supply chains, the reduction of 30 million tons per year of CO2e at facilities using our licensed technology will help drive significant emissions reductions in upstream material production. While certainly not newcomers to N2O abatement, these future reductions demonstrate INVISTA’s commitment to continuous improvement in how we produce critically needed materials for key industries.”
Due to its balance of mechanical, chemical resistance and thermal material properties, nylon 6,6 is an ideal thermoplastic to replace metal in automotive applications. The production of the ingredient AA can result in nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions unless modern techniques to abate N2O emissions are deployed.
“At Celanese, we focus on expanding our portfolio of sustainable offerings to meet growing customer demand for more sustainable products. We appreciate INVISTA’s support and shared commitment to driving innovative solutions to sustainability challenges that are both good for business and the environment,” said Steffi Götzel, Global Sustainability Leader Engineered Materials at Celanese, a global leader in engineered materials.
As automotive production increases in China, including AA production for nylon 6,6, INVISTA’s abatement technology licensing represents a major opportunity to make significant progress on global emissions reduction.