Question
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What technology and strategies can resolve the huge gaps between ethylene and propylene production in certain markets?
Apr-2024
Answers
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Francy Barrios, Axens, Francy.Barrios@axens.net
Ethylene and propylene are fundamental in the petrochemical industry and have a wide range of applications across numerous industries, such as packaging, automotive, construction, and textiles. The market for these chemicals is growing due to the global demand for plastics and expanding end-use industries. For this, it is important to solve the huge gaps between ethylene and propylene production in certain markets.
An increase in ethylene and propylene production can be reached by applying simple strategies to existing technologies in the industry. For instance, increasing the severity in FCC units and/or using specific catalyst technologies and additives like ZSM-5 zeolite with high selectivity to olefins provides the product flexibility required by market demand. Even investment in additional and new technologies can be evaluated to maximise olefins production, like the integration of FlexEne technology, which is an innovative combination of two well-proven technologies – FCC and oligomerisation – to expand the capabilities of the FCC process to maximise olefins production, especially propylene.
This flexibility is achieved by selective oligomerisation of light FCC alkenes (olefins) for recycle cracking in the FCC unit. Another important technology to be considered is High Severity Fluid Catalytic Cracking (HS-FCC), an excellent prospect for olefins maximisation. It is an evolution of the well-known FCC process to reach a considerably higher level of light olefins production, in particular propylene. This technology is, therefore, bridging the gap between the refining and petrochemicals industries.
Apr-2024
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