Solutia Inc., St. Louis, started up its newest acrylonitrile plant at the end of November 2000.
In 1999, Solutia began construction of the $200 million project to bring its 525 million lb/year acrylonitrile facility, in the Chocolate Bayou area in Alvin, Tex., to 1 billion lb/year. The new plant makes the complex one of the largest acrylonitrile producers in the world.
The facility's output will both supply Solutia's nylon and acrylic fiber internal businesses and be sold on the acrylonitrile marketplace. Most of the merchant output from the Chocolate Bayou plant is already under contract for several years, said Solutia.
Solutia said it is the world's largest consumer of acrylonitrile.
BP also owns and operates a 1 billion lb/year acrylonitrile plant in Port Lavaca, Tex.
