- Email: [email protected]
Central Glass to increase triflic acid capacity
F O C U S refining, petrochemical and gas processing industries. Press release from UOP LLC, 25 East, Algonquin Road, Des Plaines, IL 60017-5017, USA. Tel: +1 847 391 2000. Website: http://www.uop.com (29 Mar 2004)
NEW PLANTS Valero Energy appoints contractor for desulfurization unit CB&I Matrix has been appointed by Valero Energy Corp to build a 60,000 bbl/day gasoline desulfurization plant at Valero’s 185,000 bbl/day refinery at St Charles, LA. The $60 M contract includes a processing unit to reduce sulfur content in naphtha feedstock. Catalytic Distillation Technologies’ processing technology will be installed in the plant. The desulfurization plant is scheduled to be completed in mid2005.
O N
C ATA LY S T S
Pertamina to up PX, benzene output In Cilacap, Indonesia, Pertamina plans to boost paraxylene and benzene output, by 15% to 20%, by changing the plant’s catalyst. The plant is the only benzene & paraxylene plant in Indonesia and has 125,000 tonne/y benzene and 275,000 tonne/y paraxylene capacities. Asian Chemical News, 22 Mar 2004, 10 (438), 5
Codexis to expand bioprocessing plant Codexis, a supplier of biocatalysis and fermentation methods, is expected to expand the size of its bioprocess facility to 6000 m2 and install a 650 litre fermentation unit. The facility will also be equipped with additional microbiology, biochemistry. and process development labs. Manufacturing Chemist, Mar 2004, 75 (3), 17
Photochemical catalyst on an organic substrate Titania photocatalysts have hitherto been applied to inorganic substrates, for obvious reasons. JSR has now developed a hybrid coating system in which the titania layer is attached to an organic surface via a siloxane framework. This provides the photocatalytic properties without allowing photochemical attack on the substrate. Japan Chemical Week, 11 Mar 2004, 45 (2261), 1
Gold catalysts reviewed Graham Hutchings (Cardiff) reviews recent developments. Since 1990 there has been an explosion of academic interest in catalysis by gold. More than 600 papers are expected to be published on this in the current decade. Many of the reactions studied have been oxidations under mild conditions.
Oil and Gas Journal, 15 Mar 2004, 102 (11), 9
Gasoline complex added at Uruguayan refinery Administracion Nacional de Combustibles Alcohol y Portland (ANCAP) the Uruguayan state oil company brought onstream a new gasoline production facility in 4Q 2003 at La Teja refinery in Montevideo. Processing capacity at the refinery is now 50,000 bbl/day. ANCAP operates a naphtha hydrotreater, a continuous catalyst regeneration reforming octanizer, and a paraffin isomerisation plant at the refinery. Axens IFP Group Technologies supplied the technology for the plants. Oil and Gas Journal, 1 Mar 2004, 102 (9), 9
NEW TECHNOLOGY Low-temperature capro synthesis uses supercritical CO2 A low temperature (500°C), ionicliquid catalysed process for the synthesis of caprolactam, which uses supercritical carbon dioxide as the solvent, has been jointly developed by Nippon Steel Chemical and the Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials of Tohoku University, Japan. The process does not produce ammonium sulfate as a by-product. There is a brief technical discussion. Japan Chemical Week, 18 Mar 2004, 45 (2262), 1-2
Central Glass to increase triflic acid capacity Growing demand from fine chemicals producers for triflic acid and anhydride has caused Central Glass to increase its storage capacities for these products at Alachua, FL, in the US. The extra capacity should enable the company to minimise the time taken to complete orders. The products are used as catalysts in the synthesis of pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and polymer products. Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 16 Feb 2004, (245), 9 (in French)
MAY 2004
Fluorine-containing Wilkinson’s catalyst The molecule of Wilkinson’s famous homogeneous catalyst contains a chlorine atom attached to the rhodium atom. The fluorine analogue has now been made for the first time. Unlike the chloro-compound, the fluorocompound can catalyse the cleavage of carbon-halogen bonds in aromatic compounds under mild conditions. Chemical and Engineering News, 22 Mar 2004, 82 (12), 34 & Journal of The American Chemical Society, 2004, (126), 3068
The Chemical Engineer, Mar 2004, (753), 34-36
Medium-term performance of new residue hydrogenation catalysts The production and running of a 2 M tonne/y residue desulfurizationhydrogenation unit in Maoming Petrochemical Corporation (MPCC) were introduced. Industrial applications of new FZC series of residue hydrogenation catalysts made in China in a desulfurizationhydrogenation unit were studied. Compared with the original first generation of FZC catalysts, the new FZC series catalysts have better performance to meet the production demand, and the economic benefits after using the new FZC series catalysts are considerable. In addition, the service life of the industrial unit can be extended too. The tables show production figures and process parameters. Xiandai Huagong, 20 Jan 2004, 24 (1), 53-55 (in Chinese)
Dow Corning technology makes green tyres affordable Dow corning has developed a cheaper process for making silanes, using phase-transfer catalysis. These silanes should reduce the cost of tyres reinforced with silica, which give
5
NEW PLANTS Valero Energy appoints contractor for desulfurization unit CB&I Matrix has been appointed by Valero Energy Corp to build a 60,000 bbl/day gasoline desulfurization plant at Valero’s 185,000 bbl/day refinery at St Charles, LA. The $60 M contract includes a processing unit to reduce sulfur content in naphtha feedstock. Catalytic Distillation Technologies’ processing technology will be installed in the plant. The desulfurization plant is scheduled to be completed in mid2005.
O N
C ATA LY S T S
Pertamina to up PX, benzene output In Cilacap, Indonesia, Pertamina plans to boost paraxylene and benzene output, by 15% to 20%, by changing the plant’s catalyst. The plant is the only benzene & paraxylene plant in Indonesia and has 125,000 tonne/y benzene and 275,000 tonne/y paraxylene capacities. Asian Chemical News, 22 Mar 2004, 10 (438), 5
Codexis to expand bioprocessing plant Codexis, a supplier of biocatalysis and fermentation methods, is expected to expand the size of its bioprocess facility to 6000 m2 and install a 650 litre fermentation unit. The facility will also be equipped with additional microbiology, biochemistry. and process development labs. Manufacturing Chemist, Mar 2004, 75 (3), 17
Photochemical catalyst on an organic substrate Titania photocatalysts have hitherto been applied to inorganic substrates, for obvious reasons. JSR has now developed a hybrid coating system in which the titania layer is attached to an organic surface via a siloxane framework. This provides the photocatalytic properties without allowing photochemical attack on the substrate. Japan Chemical Week, 11 Mar 2004, 45 (2261), 1
Gold catalysts reviewed Graham Hutchings (Cardiff) reviews recent developments. Since 1990 there has been an explosion of academic interest in catalysis by gold. More than 600 papers are expected to be published on this in the current decade. Many of the reactions studied have been oxidations under mild conditions.
Oil and Gas Journal, 15 Mar 2004, 102 (11), 9
Gasoline complex added at Uruguayan refinery Administracion Nacional de Combustibles Alcohol y Portland (ANCAP) the Uruguayan state oil company brought onstream a new gasoline production facility in 4Q 2003 at La Teja refinery in Montevideo. Processing capacity at the refinery is now 50,000 bbl/day. ANCAP operates a naphtha hydrotreater, a continuous catalyst regeneration reforming octanizer, and a paraffin isomerisation plant at the refinery. Axens IFP Group Technologies supplied the technology for the plants. Oil and Gas Journal, 1 Mar 2004, 102 (9), 9
NEW TECHNOLOGY Low-temperature capro synthesis uses supercritical CO2 A low temperature (500°C), ionicliquid catalysed process for the synthesis of caprolactam, which uses supercritical carbon dioxide as the solvent, has been jointly developed by Nippon Steel Chemical and the Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials of Tohoku University, Japan. The process does not produce ammonium sulfate as a by-product. There is a brief technical discussion. Japan Chemical Week, 18 Mar 2004, 45 (2262), 1-2
Central Glass to increase triflic acid capacity Growing demand from fine chemicals producers for triflic acid and anhydride has caused Central Glass to increase its storage capacities for these products at Alachua, FL, in the US. The extra capacity should enable the company to minimise the time taken to complete orders. The products are used as catalysts in the synthesis of pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and polymer products. Chimie Pharma Hebdo, 16 Feb 2004, (245), 9 (in French)
MAY 2004
Fluorine-containing Wilkinson’s catalyst The molecule of Wilkinson’s famous homogeneous catalyst contains a chlorine atom attached to the rhodium atom. The fluorine analogue has now been made for the first time. Unlike the chloro-compound, the fluorocompound can catalyse the cleavage of carbon-halogen bonds in aromatic compounds under mild conditions. Chemical and Engineering News, 22 Mar 2004, 82 (12), 34 & Journal of The American Chemical Society, 2004, (126), 3068
The Chemical Engineer, Mar 2004, (753), 34-36
Medium-term performance of new residue hydrogenation catalysts The production and running of a 2 M tonne/y residue desulfurizationhydrogenation unit in Maoming Petrochemical Corporation (MPCC) were introduced. Industrial applications of new FZC series of residue hydrogenation catalysts made in China in a desulfurizationhydrogenation unit were studied. Compared with the original first generation of FZC catalysts, the new FZC series catalysts have better performance to meet the production demand, and the economic benefits after using the new FZC series catalysts are considerable. In addition, the service life of the industrial unit can be extended too. The tables show production figures and process parameters. Xiandai Huagong, 20 Jan 2004, 24 (1), 53-55 (in Chinese)
Dow Corning technology makes green tyres affordable Dow corning has developed a cheaper process for making silanes, using phase-transfer catalysis. These silanes should reduce the cost of tyres reinforced with silica, which give
5