30-11-2020

Arcanum Infrastructure startup Axens AlphaButol® technology at its Raven Butene-1 facility

Arcanum Infrastructure, LLC and Axens NA Inc. today announce the successful ongoing operations and production of 1-Butene at Raven Butene-1, LLC, which is an asset based on Axens AlphaButol® technology.

“We are excited to announce the successful operation of the first asset under the Arcanum platform. We are very happy with the support and partnership of Axens as a licensor for the Raven Butene-1 project”, states Ted Pettijohn, President Arcanum Infrastructure, LLC and Raven Butene-1, LLC.

Raven Butene-1’s General Manager, Nicholas Stewart added: “We initiated the startup activities late last year and reached full performance around mid-year. Starting a new process during normal times is challenging but COVID-19 made it even more complicated. The whole Raven team, including Axens, really pulled together well to insure a safe, efficient operation.”

The successful startup and operation of Raven Butene-1 represents yet another example of Axens AlphaButol® flexibility, and ability to produce best in-class sustainable petrochemical co-monomers. AlphaButol® is the highest reliable and cost-effective process for on purpose high purity 1-Butene production used as co-monomers in the production of various types of polyethylene plastic.

“Today marks not only another achievement to the successful track record of AlphaButol®, but also its first startup on American soil. We congratulate the Raven Butene-1 team and Arcanum Infrastructure on this significant milestone and are pleased to renew Axens commitment throughout Raven project life cycle,” said Jean Sentenac, Axens CEO.

Axens’ AlphaButol® is the world leading technology for the production of on-purpose high purity 1-Butene through ethylene dimerization. It belongs to a family of technologies based on homogenous catalysis for which extensive research and development has been performed since the mid-60’s. Since the process operates in the liquid phase using a soluble catalyst system which avoids isomerization of 1-Butene into 2-Butene, there is no need for super-fractionation of the product stream.

There are now 40 AlphaButol® licensed units worldwide using homogeneous catalysis.