From energy to innovation, Cornerstone produces chemicals used in everyday products that make life safer, help improve and protect the environment, raise productivity of the land and increase the longevity of many articles people use every day. The Cornerstone facility currently produces acrylonitrile, melamine, sulfuric acid and urea. These products are key components for other products in business and entertainment such as iPhones and flat-screen TVs; home goods such as countertops, fixtures and finishes; personal care items such as dentures; and essential transportation needs like car batteries and carbon fibers. For example, one of Cornerstone’s products - acrylonitrile - is sought after by U.S. military and commercial aircraft producers for its unparalleled quality as a component in aerospace-grade carbon fibers.
Acrylonitrile is used to manufacture hard plastics, synthetic fibers, synthetic rubbers and as a fuel component for the space shuttle. Today's telephones, televisions, radios and other electronics are possible in large part because of acrylonitrile. Acrylonitrile makes clothing and fabrics more durable and able to hold color and shape longer. Synthetic fibers and rubbers now allow tires to be safely used on cars for more than 60,000 miles, instead of the 20,000 or 30,000 miles we used to get. This reduces the number of tires that go into landfills. Synthetic rubbers made from acrylonitrile last longer, can take more friction, stretch farther and withstand higher temperatures. Acrylonitrile is also the major raw material for acrylamide.
Melamine is used in hard plastics, and it is necessary to produce laminated plastics that give countertops longevity and make them easier to clean. Melamine also acts as a formaldehyde scavenger in plywood, medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and particle board. Melamine is used to make a product that gives materials flame-retardant properties. Melamine, when used in the production of polyurethane foam, makes that foam fire retardant. Melamine products do not require as much solvent when used in spray paint and adhesives as other resins. Because of melamine, automobile and appliance manufacturers have also reduced emissions from paint application processes.
Sulfuric acid is the most common chemical in the world today. It is used as a drying agent in the production of industrial gases. It is found in car batteries and also used to refine gasoline. During the manufacture of methyl methacrylate (MMA), sulfuric acid is used in one of the reaction steps, generating a spent acid by-product. Cornerstone has invested $36 million in a regeneration plant to convert this spent acid back to high quality product.
Urea produced at Cornerstone is used in fertilizer. The company’s high quality product is also used in stationary nitrogen oxide (NOx) abatement and the diesel exhaust fluid markets.
