Hydrite Advanced Resins, LLC, (HAR), a new company formed from the combined resources of Hydrite Chemical Co. and the technologies of Polymers 2000 LTD, has begun epoxy resin production at its new facility in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin. In March, HAR commissioned a major expansion at Hydrite Chemical Co.’s facility near Madison, Wisconsin, including twin 12,500 gallon reactors custom designed for the manufacture of epichlorohydrin derivatives including specialty liquid epoxy resins. The HAR equipment is housed in a new custom designed process building adjacent to Hydrite Chemical’s Organic Processing site. Hydrite Chemical serves as the toll (contract) manufacturer for HAR in providing all manufacturing and support services in the production of HAR’s epoxy resins and other epichlorohydrin derivatives. The site’s existing extensive organic synthesis and distillation equipment complements the epoxy plant with capabilities of downstream processing and advancement of epoxy resins as well as purification by fractional distillation and/or thin film evaporation. The expansion includes bulk storage of epichlorohydrin as well as solid and liquid co-reactants. HAR’s initial offering includes resorcinol diglycidyl ether (RDGE) and a series of mono and multifunctional glycidyl ethers commonly used as reactive diluents in epoxy formulations. The design includes the capability of vacuum distillation of epichlorohydrin and processing solvents, including azeotropic separation. Multiple support vessels provide the ability to achieve very low levels of hydrolyzable chloride (HCC) and residual epichlorohydrin.

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