OQ Chemicals started up its pilot plant for esters in Oberhausen, Germany.
The company says the test facility enables it to manufacture small quantities of esters that are tailored to customer needs for testing purposes. After testing, larger quantities of esters can be produced at OQ Chemicals’ industrial plants.
“In our pilot plant, we manufacture esters according to specific customer requirements to achieve the desired chemical and physical properties. Many customers require pilot quantities of more than 20 kg for their approval processes. The pilot plant fills the gap between laboratory and large-scale production,” said Claudia Fischer, Ph.D., director of global business development, OQ Chemicals. “Esters are used in a wide variety of applications, including electromobility, due to the ester’s high thermal stability, lubricity, oxidation resistance and environmental friendliness. The new plant will also produce pilot quantities of chemical cleaning agents.”