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1914-18
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American desire for national self-sufficiency - exploration of agricultural wastes for industrial valorization. |
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1910-20
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Researchers of the National Bureau of Chemistry (US) investigated corncobs as feedstock for the manufacture of furfural. During a research project on the digestibility of oat hulls for use in cattle feed, Brownlee demonstrated that the huge Quaker Oats stockpiles of cereal waste were a potential source of furfural. |
| 1922 |
Furfural came available in quantities of several tons per month from the Quaker Oats Company cereal mill in Cedar Rapids (Iowa, USA). |
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1923
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Durite Plastics Inc. is the first manufacturer of phenol-furfural resins as long-flowing fast-curing phenolics for production of molding compounds. |
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1925
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Cold-molding of resin-bonded abrasive wheels with furfural. |
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1926
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Wood rosin purification with furfural by an extractive distillation technique. |
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1933
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First refining unit for lubricating oils with furfural built by a subsidiary of the Texas Company (Texaco), the Indian Refining Company. |
| 1934 |
Industrial furfural plant was started up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. |
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1942
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Quaker Oats sets up a Chemical Division for its furfural business. |
| 1942 |
Separation and purification of C4 hydrocarbons by extractive distillation with furfural. For the manufacture of synthetic rubber enormous quantities of pure 1,3-butadiene were needed. Corncobs and cottonseed hulls based plants were added as feedstocks to raise the furfural capacity. |
| 1949 |
du Pont starts the production of adiponitrile for the manufacture of nylon 6-6 from furfural. Furan, tetrahydrofuran and dichlorobutane are the chemical intermediates in this four step synthesis. This route was instrumental in the development of Polytetramethylene ether glycol. |
| 1951 |
du Pont's expanding use of furfural was responsible for the construction of a new facility in Omaha Nebraska. |
| 1953 |
Commercial availability of furfuryl alcohol; today it is the largest volume derivative of furfural. |
| 1953 |
Tetrahydrofuran available from C4 hydrocarbons (butadiene), available from petroleum. |
| mid 50's |
During a joint venture between Quaker Oats and a Dominican sugar mill, nowadays owned by the Central Romana Corporation (1983) FF production was started up outside the US based on sugarcane bagasse. |
| 1955 |
Commercial manufacture of tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol, a biodegradable water miscible solvent. |
| 1961 |
duPont abandones the adiponitrile process from furfural for the butadiene hydrocyanation route. |
| 1958 |
Introduction of furan resins as binders in the foundry industry with the furan NO-BAKE process (furan - urea resins). |
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1966
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duPont starts up a tetrahydrofuran capacity based on the Reppe synthesis using acetylene and formaldehyde. |
| 1972 |
Quaker's chemical division has built an additional furfuryl alcohol production facility in Geel, nearby Antwerp (Belgium). |
| 1975 |
Expansion of the furfuryl alcohol production facility in Geel, Belgium. |
| 1980 |
Introduction of furfural or furfuryl alcohol modified phenolic resins as binders in the refractory and carbon industry |
| 1994 |
Incorporation of International Furan Chemicals B.V. in the Netherlands by a group of people who have been involved with the highly specialized market of furfural, furfuryl alcohol and its derivatives for many years. |
| 1995 |
International Furan Chemicals USA was incorporated in recognition of the North American market. |
| 1998 |
The Belgian Furfuryl alcohol production facility becomes an independent entity - The name of the new company is TransFurans Chemicals. TransFurans Chemicals is leader in furfuryl alcohol production worldwide. |
production furfural