KOCHI: The Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) despatched the first indigenous Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP) from the propylene derivatives petrochemical complex at the Kochi Refinery on Tuesday. The lorry carrying the first consignment to Bapuji Surgical in Bengaluru, was flagged off by Ajith Kumar K, executive director, Kochi Refinery. SAP, the key component of sanitary napkins and other incontinence products, is being produced for the first time in India.
“The technology for the niche petrochemical is not available for licensing, and BPCL R&D centre took the challenge to develop an end-to-end process for the production of hygiene SAP. A demonstration plant of 200 tonnes per year was set up at Kochi Refinery. SAP is made using the in-house acrylic acid produced at the refinery,” a press release said.
The demonstration project will be followed by the setting up of a commercial plant of 50,000 tonnes per annum capacity, thereby saving foreign exchange worth Rs 1,000 crore. “The despatch marks the culmination of the pioneering R&D effort of BPCL towards value enhancement of acrylic acid produced from the first world-scale acrylic acid unit installed in India by the BPCL,” said Ajith on the occasion.