Sumitomo Chemical Receives the Grand Prize in the 54th Annual JCIA
Technology Awards for its Technology for Converting Hydrogen Chloride into Chlorine

May. 20, 2022

Sumitomo Chemical has received the Grand Prize in the 54th Annual JCIA Technology Awards from the Japan Chemical Industry Association (JCIA) for its low environmental impact technology for converting hydrogen chloride (HCl) into chlorine by oxidation, which was developed and commercialized by the Company.

The JCIA was founded in 1948 with the goal of promoting sound development of the chemical industry and thereby contributing to the growth of the Japanese economy and the improvement of the people’s lives. The JCIA Technology Awards recognizes companies that have made significant contributions to the development of the chemical industry and the betterment of the economy and society at large by developing and commercializing outstanding chemical technologies, and offers a Grand Prize, a Special Technology Prize and an Environmental Technology Prize. In FY2019, Sumitomo Chemical received the Grand Prize for its low environmental impact, by-product free process for manufacturing propylene oxide (PO) using cumene.

The Grand Prize has been awarded this time for Sumitomo Chemical’s process for efficiently manufacturing chlorine from HCl using its proprietary high-activity oxidation catalyst. This technology is particularly useful for converting the HCl generated as a by-product in the process for manufacturing isocyanate, a major raw material for polyurethane, which uses chlorine as a raw material. Chlorine is an essential, broadly used chemical. As conventional chlorine manufacturing processes, such as electrolysis, require a large amount of energy, there is strong demand for technology for converting the by-product HCl back to chlorine in high efficiency from both economic and environmental perspectives. Accordingly, Sumitomo Chemical has licensed this technology to chemical manufacturers in and outside Japan primarily for use at isocyanate manufacturing plants. Going forward, the Company will step up efforts to license this technology for use alongside other processes than the isocyanate process in which HCl is generated as a byproduct, and strive to continue to contribute to reducing environmental impact across the global chlorine supply chain. The Company expects the amount of carbon dioxide emissions reduction achieved by replacing conventional chlorine manufacturing processes by this technology to reach more than 2 million tons per year in several years’ time.

Sumitomo Chemical has identified contribution in the environmental area as one of the material issues to be addressed as management priorities, setting the number of licenses granted for environment-friendly technologies as a key performance indicator (KPI) for the Essential Chemicals & Plastic Sector. The Company will continue to develop new technologies that achieve both the mitigation of environmental impact and high economic efficiency at the same time, and thereby contribute to creating a sustainable society.

Contact

Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.
Corporate Communications Dept.
https://www.sumitomo-chem.co.jp/english/contact/public/