A High-Selectivity Process for Green Ethylene Production is proposed by BP Chemicals

HOUSTON - July 18, 2013 - PRLog -- A recent patent (Application US 2009/0082605) disclosing a process to produce green ethylene from biomass ethanol dehydration was issued by BP Chemicals. As other several companies, BP is seeking to reduce the chemical industry’s dependence on fossil raw materials, researching ways to substitute petroleum-derived chemical building blocks for renewable equivalents.

The patent relates to a process in which ethanol is dehydrated in a fixed bed reactor under mild conditions.  According to BP Chemicals, milder reaction conditions lead to improved ethylene selectivity and yield, since moderate reaction temperatures reduce the formation of undesirable by-products, such as alkanes.  Therefore, the use of some expensive cryogenic separation equipment could be limited, reducing associated capital requirements and operating costs.

Published by Intratec Solutions LLC, the assessment, “Green Ethylene from Ethanol”, evaluated the technical aspects and economic performance of this process based on capital and operating expenses estimates for a plant utilizing the patent granted for BP Chemicals.

For such investment, the study points out that for the construction of a 190 kta plant, an investment of about US$ 230 million is required.  In one of the process scenarios evaluated by Intratec, it was confirmed that the formation of by-products would require additional purification equipment, increasing the necessary investment by approximately US$ 20 million.  A sensitivity analysis also evaluated the impact of the reaction conversion on both capital and operating costs (CAPEX and OPEX).

In addition, an analysis of the plant operating costs showed that, at the current process development stage and under the pricing conditions of Q3 2012, green ethylene does not compete with petrochemical ethylene on pricing; however, there are niche consumer markets eager for the benefits of an environmentally friendly product and willing to pay more for them.

“Green Ethylene from Ethanol” is available at established distribution channels like Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/dp/149043514X/ref=cm_sw_su_dp) and HP Magcloud (http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/535439).  A preview of the publication can be found at  http://www.intratec.us/publications/green-ethylene-from-e....  

About Intratec Solutions

Intratec (www.intratec.us) offers online the most affordable and reliable advisory services on mature process technologies, emerging chemical process technologies and chemical process improvements.  Intratec also provides techno-economic publications for chemical and allied industries.  Intratec's expertise resides at the intersection of technology and strategy - a natural fit for clients looking for thought-provoking technological analysis and visionary strategic thinking.