Page 165 - CW E-Magazine (5-12-2023)

News from Abroad

SUPPLY CONTRACT

Clariant to supply catalyst to Shenghong Petrochemi-

cal’s maleic anhydride facility

Swiss speciality chemicals company,
Clariant, said it has been awarded
a major contract by Jiangsu Sheng-
hong Petrochemical Co. Ltd. (Sheng-
hong Petrochemical) to use Clariant’s
SynDane 3142 LA catalyst for its new
maleic anhydride (MAN) plant in
Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, China.
With a production capacity of 200-ktpa,
the new plant slated for start of produc-
tion in 2025, will be one of the largest
production plants for MAN worldwide. With its unique shape design, Syn- composition also increases the selec-
Dane 3142 LA reduces the pressure tivity towards MAN, which enhances
The plant will produce MAN as an drop by 30-35% and thereby signi- product yield and reduces by-product
intermediate product for polybutylene ficantly lowers compressor energy con- formation, meaning less downtime for
adipate terephthalate (PBAT), which in sumption. Moreover, it can operate equipment cleaning. Production effi-
turn will function as a base product for under high n-butane load, which re- ciency is further boosted by SynDane’s
biodegradable plastic. Using the Syn- duces energy consumption even fur- long lifetime of up to five years. Sheng-
Dane catalyst, Shenghong Petrochem- ther, because less air needs to be com- hong Petrochemical is a subsidiary of
ical will be able to improve production pressed to a lower pressure to achieve Shenghong Holding Group, one of the
efficiency and reduce power consump- the same productivity level. The cata- world’s leading energy and chemical
tion. lyst’s special structure and chemical enterprises.
ENSUING CIRCULARITY

Spain’s Cepsa successfully converts waste plastics

to phenol
Spanish energy conglomerate, faction in achieving successful results
Cepsa, has successfully completed the first in the test. “For over a year and a half,
test operation in Spain for the co-pro- the coordination of the different teams
cessing of recycled plastic pyrolysis involved has been essential for the suc-
oil. This project, carried out at the La cess of this pioneering test, which has
Rábida Energy Park in Huelva, enabled required the joint work of more than
the production of raw material that the fifty professionals from up to eight dif-
company then converted into circular ferent areas of the company.”
phenol and acetone from discarded
single-use plastics, such as plastic bags Ms. Esther González, Director of
or plastic cutlery. of 500°C without oxygen in a reactor the Palos Chemical Plant, added, “This
with subsequent cooling. As a result, innovative plastic co-processing opera-
To carry out this first test, these single-use plastics were conver- tion also opens the possibility of sup-
300-tonnes of waste plastic were recy- ted into phenol. plying acetone of circular origin to the
cled. This plastic waste was used as an new Cepsa Química Isopropanol plant
alternative raw material to petroleum Mr. Rafael Larraz, Cepsa’s R&D project in Huelva, which will be opera-
after being subjected to a temperature Director, expressed the company’s satis- tional in 2025.”

Chemical Weekly December 5, 2023 165

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