How INEOS Acetyls touches every aspect of our daily lives

MAKING A DIFFERENCE: INEOS Acetyls at Saltend Chemicals Park

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INEOS Acetyls impacts all our lives – every single day.

From food and healthcare, to cleaning and driving forward a sustainable future, INEOS Acetyls plays a significant role – more often than not, without us realising. In doing so, it is quietly influencing many crucial aspects of modern life.

Based at Saltend Chemicals Park, Hull, it is the only industrial scale producer of acetic acid, ethyl acetate and acetic anhydride in Europe.

The products made by INEOS at the 370-acre park – a cluster of world-class chemicals and renewable energy businesses at the heart of the UK’s energy estuary – provide the building blocks for a wide range of industries, including pharmaceuticals, ingredients for the food sector, coatings and textiles, solar panels and automotive parts.

“The products we produce are vital building blocks for everyday life,” says Dr Meltem Yilmaz, business analyst at INEOS.

“Acetic acid, ethyl acetate and acetic anhydride go directly into the products that millions of us use every day.”

“They have very positive uses and are essential for modern society to function.”

INEOS Acetyls also played a critical role in the response to the Covid-19 pandemic by producing raw materials used in human insulin, disinfectant, sterilising agents and protective clothing. The list of end uses of its locally produced products goes on and on.

PROUD TO WORK AT INEOS ACETYLS: Dr Meltem Yilmaz

“As consumers, we often buy things without really thinking about where they came from or how they are made, and our products go into many things that people don’t realise,” Dr Yilmaz adds.

“I’m proud because, by working at INEOS, you are making a genuinely positive difference to people’s lives.”

INEOS Acetyls is also making a positive difference through its drive towards a sustainable future.

It is a world leader in the low carbon production of its products thanks to its unique technology and as well as implementing a roadmap to be net zero by 2050, INEOS products are helping wider decarbonisation.

Acetic acid is used to make ethyl vinyl acetate, which is critical to manufacture solar panels, as well as peracetic acid, a wastewater treatment that is more environmentally friendly than chlorine alternatives.

Acetic anhydride also is used to treat and manufacture acetylated wood, creating a more sustainable, durable construction material.

And excellence in Safety, Health and Environmental (SHE) performance is the top priority for INEOS Acetyls, which employs over 300 people at Saltend and more than 500 globally.

“Collectively and individually, we’re committed to protecting and maintaining the quality of the environment,” says Dr Yilmaz.

“This ensures the health and safety of our employees, as well as all the many communities in which we operate.”

Here are some examples of the petrochemicals produced by INEOS Acetyls at Saltend making a difference all around us:

Food

• A natural cleaning agent, acetic acid is used to sanitise and disinfect in large scale food processing. It is also used in the processing of olives, and herring fillets are preserved in a solution containing acetic acid.

• Ethyl acetate is used in food flavourings, including salt and vinegar crisps, and preservatives. It is also used to make decaf coffee.

• Acetic anhydride is used in the production of modified starches, including to thicken food.

Healthcare

• Acetic anhydride is used in aspirin and paracetamol.

• Acetic acid is used in the production of vitamin A, which is important for helping vision in dim light, and some types of eardrops contain acetic acid.

• Acetic anhydride is used in vitamin E, which is important for maintaining healthy skin, as well as in X-ray contrast material.

Automotive

• EtAc is used in the coatings on vehicle parts.

• Acetic acid is found in some windscreen wash solutions.

Cleaning

• Acetic anhydride is used in low temperature washing detergent powder.

• Acetic acid is used in cleaning solutions for hard surfaces such as patios, stone, gravel and tarmac.

Beauty

• Acetic acid is used in hair care products, such as shampoo.

• Ethyl acetate is used in nail varnish remover and perfumes.