N.M. 50 Perstorp, Toledo, Ohio 450 Praxair, Geismar, La. 40 Solutia, Alvin, Tex.
Commercial production is from methanol either by silver catalyst or metal oxide catalyst processes.
Seventy to 80 percent of formaldehyde output is used captively. In 1998 Geo Specialty Chemicals purchased Trimet from Mallinckrodt and Borden Chemical acquired Spurlock Industries and its plants in Waverly, Va., and Malvern, Ark., adding another 275 million pounds of capacity. Last year, Borden Chemicals and Plastics sold its formaldehyde business, including the recently upgraded, 1.47 billion pound Geismar, La., facility, to Borden Chemical. In 1999, International Specialty Products ended formaldehyde production in Calvert City, Ky., and closed the Texas City, Tex. Perstorp expanded its Toledo, Ohio plant by 140 million pounds, increasing capacity at the site to 450 million pounds in 1999.