FutureFuel Chemical Company Launches New Product; FUTURESOL® DEM to be Produced in Batesville, AR

BATESVILLE, Ark.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--FUTUREFUEL CHEMICAL COMPANY (OTCBB:FTFL) announces the start-up of its FUTURESOL® DEM (diethoxymethane) production facility at its Batesville, AR manufacturing site. FUTURESOL® DEM provides an environmentally sound option for commercial production of organometallic reagents while maintaining excellent solvating properties, good water work-up characteristics, and low peroxide formation.

“Organometallic reagents have become an increasingly popular tool for the industrial synthesis of complex organic molecules. Finding a suitable solvent that combines excellent chemical properties with good safety performance while providing ease of work-up and that is green is virtually impossible. However, we feel that DEM clearly meets these criteria and is an excellent solvent for use in preparation of Grignards and alkyl lithiums, along with preparatory steps that utilize phase transfer catalysis," explained Dr. Todd Coleman, Sr. Scientist at FutureFuel Chemical.

With less than 5% solubility in water and a water azeotrope at 75°C, removal from water is less arduous using FUTURESOL® DEM when compared to THF. Water has less than 2% solubility in FUTURESOL® DEM making drying to low ppm very feasible. The combination of these two facts makes recycle and recovery of FUTURESOL® DEM very viable. FUTURESOL® DEM reluctantly forms peroxides when compared to other ether compounds. Addition of BHT to FUTURESOL® DEM minimizes peroxide formation. Aqueous work-ups can be performed across a wide range of pHs since FUTURESOL® DEM exhibits good stability as an acetal. FUTURESOL® DEM is produced from bioethanol and formaldehyde, making FUTURESOL® DEM a green solvent.

About FUTUREFUEL CHEMICAL COMPANY

FUTUREFUEL CHEMICAL COMPANY is a leader in the production of performance and custom chemicals in North America. The core business of FutureFuel is the development, manufacture and sale of performance and custom chemicals across a wide variety of market segments including agricultural chemicals, paints, inks, coatings, polymers and polymer additives, in addition to the production of bio-based fuels.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by FutureFuel Chemical Company management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

FUTURESOL® is a registered trademark of FutureFuel Chemical Company.