Plant Types: Chemical and Specialty Chemical, Petrochemical

Subtypes: Formaldehyde Plant

Capacity: 105mm lbs/yr at 40%-45% (capable of 37-51%)

Raw Materials: Methanol, Oxygen

Formaldehyde Plant (Reichhold Design using metal oxide catalyst).

Available for operation in-place (Allentown, PA USA) or relocation globally.

Process Description:

The Formaldehyde plant (P501) is designed to produce formaldehyde by the catalytic conversion of methanol and oxygen controlled recycle gas. Formaldehyde is produced by the direct oxidation of methanol from the Methanol Storage Tank and Piping (P502). Emissions from the methanol storage tank and piping, during truck unloading, are captured by the Methanol Vapor Recovery System (C502). Emissions not captured by the vapor recovery system are fugitive emissions (Z550). The catalytic conversion reaction is carried out with the aid of a catalyst, which consists of molybdenum and iron oxides. The process gas is passed through the catalyst, contained in a multiple tube unit called the converter. It both heats the air-methanol mixture to the reaction temperature in the upper part of the catalyst tube and removes the heat of the reaction in the lower part. The formalin gases, which leave the converter, are cooled in an after-cooler where low-pressure steam is produced. The cooled gases enter an absorber where the formaldehyde is absorbed into water to produce up to a 53.0% Formaldehyde solution. In order to reach desired production rates, it is necessary to operate the plant under recycle conditions. Part of the gas mixture leaving the absorber stack is returned to a recycle tank where it is mixed with fresh air, at a controlled rate, to maintain oxygen content of 10 — 10.5% by volume. The remaining unused gas mixture goes to the Natural Gas fired (FML541) Catalytic Oxidizer (C501) where it is preheated and oxidized, in the presence of a catalyst, to harmless byproducts. These byproducts are released to the atmosphere through the Formaldehyde Incinerator Stack (5501).

Notes: Shut down in 2024.

Plant Types: Petrochemical

Subtypes: Toulene

Capacity: separate and purify up to 18 mt/hr of toluene

This all stainless steel, dual-column distillation system was designed by Sabic to separate and purify up to 18 mt/hr of toluene from a complex mixture including isomers, Bisphenol-A, and water.  The system consists of a feed tank, vaporizer, pre-flash vessel, upper column, lower column, two column reboilers, and two overhead condensers with vacuum jets.

Subsystem from Complete Bisphenol A (BPA) Plant, IPP Stock #600363

Plant Types: Petrochemical

Subtypes: Methanol Plant

Capacity: 275 TPD (82,500 TPY)

Raw Materials: Natural Gas, Carbon DiOxide (CO2)

Process Description

The natural gas feedstock is first preheated and de‐sulphurized (382°C/25bar), absorption is carried out over Zinc oxide granules, and then reacted with steam to produce a reformed gas/steam mixture at 860°C temperature and 21 bar pressure.

The reforming reaction is basically the reaction between a hydrocarbon and steam to produce carbon  monoxide and hydrogen. In the presence of excess steam these basic products are modified to produce quantities of carbon dioxide and methane, giving a reformed gas consisting of methane, carbon  dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen.

The reformed gas/steam mixture is then cooled, separated from process condensate and passed into the make‐up gas compressor where the gas is compressed (36°C /17bar) to a high pressure (113°C/49bar)  to be injected into the methanol synthesis loop.

With Carbon Dioxide Additions, the external supply of carbon dioxide is mixed with the high pressure gases from the make‐up gas compressor before injection into the synthesis loop.

Synthesis gases are circulated at high flow rates through a methanol synthesis catalyst held at moderate temperatures (135°C/52bar) where hydrogen reacts with carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide to produce gaseous methanol.

Cooling of the circulated gas condenses crude liquid methanol which is bled from the system and sent to crude storage. The remaining gases are then replenished with make‐up gas before entering the synthesis gas circulator to pass round the loop again.

Inert gases (methane) present in the reformed gas accumulate in the loop and are bled from the system to be burnt as fuel.

The crude methanol contains small concentrations of other organic chemicals synthesized in the methanol converter.

The crude product is then taken from storage, fractionated in two distillation columns and the pure methanol passed to purified product storage tanks.

Plant Types: Petrochemical

Subtypes: Hydrogenation Plant

Capacity: 3100 Gallon (12M3)

3100 Gallon (12 M3), 25 bar Buss Loop Hydrogenation Reactor System

12 m³ 1.4439 SS Hydrogenation Reactor system, BUSS LOOP reactor, -1/25 bar@ 200 ° C, max operating pressure 16 bar@ 105°C . Gebr. Quast/Gothe KG, SN # 2603 total volume 13.143 l. System includes a 114 m² 1.4439 SS heat exchanger , -1/25 bar internal, jkt -1/6 bar @ 200°C, manuf. Gessner Apparatebau GmbH /Germany, volume 870 l pipes, 1.139 l shell, dia 700 mm, 5 m length , connected to AW 413 double jacket pipe, 1.4571 SS 10 bar@ 120°C, 5 l both sides; a 30,6 m² 1.4571 SS Vicarb plate heat exchanger , 8 bar@110°C, 70 l each side, SN # D 3660; and a 995 l 1.4571 SS pressure tank -1/26 bar @ 200°C, used as Hydrogen buffer tank, manufactured By Weisstaler, SN 38644.

Plant Types: Petrochemical

Subtypes: Ethylbenzene Plant, Styrene Monomer

Capacity: 610 ktpa EB, 530 ktpa SM

Raw Materials: Ethylene

Ethylbenzene (EB) Plant

The EB-plant converts Ethylene and Benzene into Ethylbenzene through a catalytic reaction (Badger vapor phase technology). The nameplate capacity is 610 kt/yr. EB production.

Styrene Monomer (SM) Plant

The Styrene plant consists of 2 sections; a Cracking section (EB is in two catalyst filled reactors converted with steam in to Styrene Monomer and Hydrogen (Dehydrogenation). The process operated at high temperatures.

The second unit (Finishing section) purifies the SM an recycles unused EB to the feed of the cracking section.

The nameplate capacity of 530 kt/yr. SM production

Plant Types: Petrochemical, Polymers - Fibres and Plastics

Subtypes: Bi-Oriented Polypropylene Film (BOPP)

Capacity: 90 ktpa BOPP

Raw Materials: Isotactic Polypropylene

1. Bi-oriented polypropylene film (BOPP) has been used for decades in the flexible packaging industry. It is widely appreciated for its low cost, excellent optical and mechanical characteristics, and its outstanding gas barrier property (particularly to water vapor). The film thickness ranges from 15 to 60 micron, and is composed of at least three layers: the middle layer is the thickest and contributes almost exclusively to the mechanical properties; the two outer layers lend various properties to the film (i.e. heat-sealing properties). Depending on what the final application the film is intended for, additives may be added, in order to fully meet the application requirements. 1. Raw material feeding system The main raw material, in the central layer, is the isotactic Polypropylene, a semi-crystalline and thermoplastic material. Whereas, for the outer layers, ethylene-propylene and/or ethylene-butane-propylene copolymers are used. These materials are introduced inside the extruders by a hopper system.
2. Extrusion - Inside the extruders, the materials are melted and brought to 200-230°C and then conveyed through the extrusion head, where they emerge in the form of foil.
3. The foil cooling - The foil is then placed in direct contact with a cooled cylinder and immersed in a water bath to quench the melt.
4. Machine direction orientation (MDO) - The film then passes over a series of rollers, which increase the temperature and prearrange it to stretch longitudinally (machine direction). The stretching is achieved by passing the foil between the rollers that run at increasing speeds. As a rule, the foil is stretched up to five times the initial length and, at this stage the polymer chains are aligned. This stage allows the enhancing of the film's mechanical properties, also, the thickness is reduced up to five times. After stretching, the film is heated once again in order to neutralize the stress accumulated during the stretching (annealing phase).
5. Transverse direction orientation (TDO) - Once out of the longitudinal stretching zone, the film is gripped on both edges by a fast-moving chain of metal jaws (tenter clips). In the tenter, the film goes into an oven, where its temperature rises before being stretched transversely by the diverging rails (i.e. stretching in transverse direction up to 9 times its original width). At this stage, the macromolecules align, this time in transverse direction, enhancing the film mechanical properties and reducing the thickness up to 9 times. Following the stretching stage, the chain and the film converge , so that the film neutralizes the stress accumulated during the stretching (annealing phase).
6. Thickness measurement and flame treatment The film reaches a new processing stage where it takes the automatic measurement of the thickness (along the entire width). Afterwards, one of the faces is subject to the flame or corona treatment to make the film suitable for the following conversion activities, namely, modifying the surface, that is intended to anchor materials such as ink (printing process), adhesive (lamination process), or metal (metallization process).
7. Reel winding - The film is wrapped around a reel and is slit according to the requested dimensions.