Dow Water & Process Solutions And Bayer Technology Services Sign Worldwide Licensing Agreement

• Licensing agreement covers the worldwide marketing of BayFAME technology
• BayFAME® is a continuous process for the esterification of free fatty acids to biodiesel based on the DOW AMBERLYST BD20 catalyst
• Enables the ability toturn any FFA-containing feedstock into FAME without worrying about yield loss, acids and waste

Dow Water & Process Solutions, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company (Dow), and Bayer Technology Services GmbH (BTS), announced a licensing agreement for the worldwide marketing of BayFAME® technology, a continuous process developed by BTS for the esterification of free fatty acids (FFA) to biodiesel based on the DOW™ AMBERLYST™ BD20 catalyst.

"With BayFAME, the new clean FFA-esterification technology developed by Bayer Technology Services based on the DOW AMBERLYST BD20 catalyst, our customers will be able for the first time to turn FFA-containing feedstock into FAME (fatty acid methylester) without worrying about yield loss, acids and waste," said Dr. Susanne Mueller, head of Engineering Biomass Conversion Bayer Technology Services. "Whether customers want to use a specific feedstock like different types of animal fat, used cooking oil, trap grease, jatropha, 100 weight percent FFA, or want to achieve a maximum flexibility in feedstock, we have the solution to get the competitive advantage and flexibility to succeed in a world of volatile oil and raw material prices."

Added Dr. Donna Rohan, EMEA biodiesel sales manager, Dow Water & Process Solutions, "We're excited to be working with Bayer Technology Services. Our collaboration is another example of Dow's commitment to the biodiesel industry, and demonstrates the positive impact our experience and innovative solutions can have on the marketplace."

In today's environment, the manufacturing costs of biodiesel have been strongly dominated by feedstock costs. Feedstock prices, such as those for soybean and rapeseed oil, which can be easily turned into biodiesel (FAME), have reached record highs in 2008. While less expensive potential feedstocks are available, they contain a significant amount of FFA, which cannot be processed in conventional biodiesel plants. In the past, these FFAs had to be treated as waste or as a by-product of low value. Some acid esterification techniques for these FFAs were available in the market but presented significant issues in terms of acid removal and wastewater treatment.

The multi-stage concept offers a flexible process design, which ensures that feedstocks with any FFA content up to 100 weight percent can be processed with an optimum yield and minimum manufacturing costs. For low FFA concentrations, a single reaction stage will sufficiently reduce the FFA concentration to a level as low as 0.1 weight percent, and a three-stage process will cover the complete spectrum up to 100 weight percent FFA.

The BayFAME esterification process can be easily tied-in between the oil pretreatment and the transesterification units of a conventional biodiesel process. The pretreated oil will be directly fed together with dry methanol into the first esterification reactor stage. After the last reaction stage, the FFA initially contained in the feedstock will be converted to FAME, and the resulting product stream can be further processed in a conventional transesterification unit to convert the triglycerides into FAME, as well.

Overall, the savings of using an FFA-rich feedstock with the joint esterification BayFAME technology are significant compared to conventional feedstocks, like rapeseed or soybean oil.

About Bayer Technology Services
Bayer Technology Services GmbH offers fully integrated solutions throughout the lifecycle of chemical and pharmaceutical plants – from development, planning and construction, to the process optimization of existing plants. The Bayer subsidiary employs almost 2,600 experts worldwide at its headquarters in Leverkusen and other German sites, as well as in regional offices in Belgium, India, Mexico, Switzerland, the United States, the United Arab Emirates and China. In 2008, the company achieved sales of approximately EUR 420 million.

About Dow Water & Process Solutions
Dow Water & Process Solutions has a 50 year legacy of providing innovative water and process solutions to both communities and industries alike. A differentiated business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, Dow Water & Process Solutions offers a broad portfolio of ion exchange resins, reverse osmosis membranes, ultrafiltration membranes and electrodeionization products, with strong positions in a number of major application areas, including industrial and municipal water, pharmaceuticals, power, residential water and wastewater and water reuse.

About Dow
With sales of $57.4B in 2008 and 46,000 employees worldwide, Dow is a diversified chemical company that combines the power of science and technology with the "Human Element" to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. The Company delivers a broad range of products and services to customers in around 160 countries, connecting chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. On April 1, 2009, Dow acquired Rohm and Haas Company, a global specialty materials company with sales of $10B in 2008 and 15,000 employees worldwide. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted.

SOURCE: Dow Water & Process Solutions