A July 14 fire at a plant operated by Dow Inc. in Plaquemine, La., has impacted production of a raw material used to make PET resin.
In an email to Plastics News, a spokesperson for Midland, Mich.-based Dow said the fire occurred shortly after 9 p.m. on that date. No injuries were reported, and the fire was extinguished by 5 a.m. on July 16.
The fire took place at the site's Glycol-2 unit, which makes ethylene oxide, isopropanolamines, alkylalkanolamines and polyethylene glycol.
Ethylene oxide (EO) is used to synthesize ethylene glycols, which are key raw materials in PET resin production. Ethylene glycols also are used to make antifreeze and in production of polyurethane systems. PE glycols are used in a wide range of medical, commercial and industrial products. Dow is one of the world's largest EO producers.
The unit where the fire took place is down, but all other Dow units at the site — including those making PE resins — are operational, the spokesperson said.
"We are continuing to assess the incident and will have more information about product impact, operations and next steps when it is available," the spokesperson added.
