- Email: [email protected]
Norton Company Manufacturing Expansion
N17
H.J. Bbck, A.M. Bradshaw, P.C. Gravelle, J. Haber, R.S. Hansen, M.W. Roberts, N. Sheppard and K Tamaru. This publication aims to give guidance for workers in surface science and heterogeneous catalysis. Most of the experimental techniques that have been developed during the last 20 years and which can nowadays be applied to catalyst characterization are briefly summarized. Techniques which can be used to study systematically single crystal surfaces in ultrahigh vacuum as well as those methods investigating adsorbed molecules on polycrystalline solids at higher pressures are described. The survey is organized in 5 chapters: 1. Characterization of Surface Elemental Composition; 2. Characterization of Surface Structures; 3. Investigation of surface Electronic Structure; 4. Characterization of Vibrational Modes of Adsorbed Species; and 5. Miscellaneous Techniques. A listing of books and review articles on the various techniques are given in an appendix in order to indicate where detailed information can be obtained. Although not an official IUPAC document, this survey has been written in accordance with IUPAC rules and terminology. With this publication, the authors also aim “to tame the language jungle” in surface science terminology.
The Current Status of Polyethylene
From the time of its discovery in the earfy 1930s at ICI to the present day this wonder polymer has far outlived its expectations. ICI commercialised production of low density polyethylene (LDPE) in 1939. Discovery of catalysts in the 50s by Ziegler in Germany and by Phillips Petroleum in the US led to the development of the catalytic process for the production of high applied catalysis -Volume
density polyethylene (HDPC). According to the latest statistics, production of LDPE and HDPE in Europe are about 5260 and 3115 kilotons per year, respectively, considering the status of polyethylene as one of the most utilized materials. An article on it by J. Redman, in ‘The Chemical Engineer, 23th September, 1991, p. 26, is timely. The article highlights details of seven of the most important commercial technologies. The report discusses the salient points of each of the processes, their advantages and disadvantages, the flow sheets of the processes, the catalyst used, (ii any), etc., and gives a quick survey of ‘the state of the art’ in commercial polyethylene production. K. SESHAN
Norton Company Manufacturing Expansion
Norton Company’s Chemical Process Products business has announced a major expansion to its NC-300 catalyst production line. The zeoliie-based NOX abatement catalyst will be produced in a new facility located in Bryan, Texas. Completion of this manufacturing site is expected in late 1992. This new facilii will significantly increase Norton’s manufacturing capacity to meet increasing demand resulting from recently enacted air pollution control legislation. Production capabilities are said to include the manufacture of Norton’s proprietary catalyst in the form of honeycomb monoliths in various shapes and cell den&ii, depending upon the flue gas conditions. Norton is said to have installed several selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems in the United States, Europe and the Pacific Rim. It is claimed that the NC300 catalyst offers
79 No. 2 -10 December 1991
N18
many operational advantages: wide temperature range, excellent resistance to poisoning by sulfur and other flue gas components, high NOX reduction efficiency, low pressure drop, low ammonia slip and minimal disposal problems. The Catalyst Review The Catalyst Review Newsletter is a monthly publication covering news and events in the international catalyst industry. Although it has always been available to academic institutions, its price will have deterred some from subscribing. The publishers have therefore introduced a reduced rate subscription for non-profitmaking organisations. The Newsletter is claimed to keep one abreast of what industry is doing, and thinking of doing, in catalysis. lt carried regular feature articles and it is suggested that it may help one to direct one’s own research towards industrially relevant topics which could attract research funds. For further information, contact Catalyst Consultants Europe Ltd. at P.O. Box 17. Crowborough, East Sussex, TN8 2LW, England. Rust Causes Temperature Runaway This is the subject of a report in Oil and Gas Journal, (June 17,1991,pp. 3336) by R.T. Hake and M. Vadekar entitled “RustHydrogenation Catalyzed Ethylene Causes Temperature Runeway’: The authors provide an interesting analysis of a high temperature runaway reaction in an ethane cracking unit within a shell-andtube heat exchanger which resulted in rup ture of the exchanger shell. Thirty foot flames arose in the methanator section immediately after the exchanger shell ruptured, releasing gas at 450 psig. Fottunateapplied cataiysls -
Volume 79 No. 2 40
ly, no one was injured and damage was limited to the small ruptured exchanger and a minor overhead cable tray. Laboratory studies using a diierential scanning calorimeter confirmed the hypothesis that finely dtvided iron or iron oxide from rust at under 300~ could have initiated the runaway. Rust is known to form on carbon steel equipment during construction, and rust ls believed to have been present in the system prior to start-up. The incident investigation indicated that the accumulation of rust in new equipment was capable of catalyzing ethylene hydrogenation and possibly other exothermic hydrogenation reactions. Total Management of Zeolltic Aluminum A recent article by A. Humphries, S.J. Yanik, L.A. Gerritsen, P.O’Connor and P.H. Desai in Hydrocarbon Processing, (April, 1991, p. 8S) reports on Akzo Chemical Inc.‘s commercialization of a Y teolite which optimizes the interaction between framework and non-framework aluminum. They summarize the importance of the total aluminum in FCC catalysts as determined by both the presence of framework and non-framework aluminum species. While not specifically identifying what they have done, they do report achieving a homogeneous aluminum surface during the zeoitte manufacturing and processing step in orderto optimize aluminum topography. Perfonance data are presented that show that this new zeolite development is effectlve both at minimising light gas production and in handling heavy feeds. They claim that the ADGSO catalyst produced about 1.5 wt.-% more gasoline than did reference catalysts wlth an increased yield of bran-
December 1991
H.J. Bbck, A.M. Bradshaw, P.C. Gravelle, J. Haber, R.S. Hansen, M.W. Roberts, N. Sheppard and K Tamaru. This publication aims to give guidance for workers in surface science and heterogeneous catalysis. Most of the experimental techniques that have been developed during the last 20 years and which can nowadays be applied to catalyst characterization are briefly summarized. Techniques which can be used to study systematically single crystal surfaces in ultrahigh vacuum as well as those methods investigating adsorbed molecules on polycrystalline solids at higher pressures are described. The survey is organized in 5 chapters: 1. Characterization of Surface Elemental Composition; 2. Characterization of Surface Structures; 3. Investigation of surface Electronic Structure; 4. Characterization of Vibrational Modes of Adsorbed Species; and 5. Miscellaneous Techniques. A listing of books and review articles on the various techniques are given in an appendix in order to indicate where detailed information can be obtained. Although not an official IUPAC document, this survey has been written in accordance with IUPAC rules and terminology. With this publication, the authors also aim “to tame the language jungle” in surface science terminology.
The Current Status of Polyethylene
From the time of its discovery in the earfy 1930s at ICI to the present day this wonder polymer has far outlived its expectations. ICI commercialised production of low density polyethylene (LDPE) in 1939. Discovery of catalysts in the 50s by Ziegler in Germany and by Phillips Petroleum in the US led to the development of the catalytic process for the production of high applied catalysis -Volume
density polyethylene (HDPC). According to the latest statistics, production of LDPE and HDPE in Europe are about 5260 and 3115 kilotons per year, respectively, considering the status of polyethylene as one of the most utilized materials. An article on it by J. Redman, in ‘The Chemical Engineer, 23th September, 1991, p. 26, is timely. The article highlights details of seven of the most important commercial technologies. The report discusses the salient points of each of the processes, their advantages and disadvantages, the flow sheets of the processes, the catalyst used, (ii any), etc., and gives a quick survey of ‘the state of the art’ in commercial polyethylene production. K. SESHAN
Norton Company Manufacturing Expansion
Norton Company’s Chemical Process Products business has announced a major expansion to its NC-300 catalyst production line. The zeoliie-based NOX abatement catalyst will be produced in a new facility located in Bryan, Texas. Completion of this manufacturing site is expected in late 1992. This new facilii will significantly increase Norton’s manufacturing capacity to meet increasing demand resulting from recently enacted air pollution control legislation. Production capabilities are said to include the manufacture of Norton’s proprietary catalyst in the form of honeycomb monoliths in various shapes and cell den&ii, depending upon the flue gas conditions. Norton is said to have installed several selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems in the United States, Europe and the Pacific Rim. It is claimed that the NC300 catalyst offers
79 No. 2 -10 December 1991
N18
many operational advantages: wide temperature range, excellent resistance to poisoning by sulfur and other flue gas components, high NOX reduction efficiency, low pressure drop, low ammonia slip and minimal disposal problems. The Catalyst Review The Catalyst Review Newsletter is a monthly publication covering news and events in the international catalyst industry. Although it has always been available to academic institutions, its price will have deterred some from subscribing. The publishers have therefore introduced a reduced rate subscription for non-profitmaking organisations. The Newsletter is claimed to keep one abreast of what industry is doing, and thinking of doing, in catalysis. lt carried regular feature articles and it is suggested that it may help one to direct one’s own research towards industrially relevant topics which could attract research funds. For further information, contact Catalyst Consultants Europe Ltd. at P.O. Box 17. Crowborough, East Sussex, TN8 2LW, England. Rust Causes Temperature Runaway This is the subject of a report in Oil and Gas Journal, (June 17,1991,pp. 3336) by R.T. Hake and M. Vadekar entitled “RustHydrogenation Catalyzed Ethylene Causes Temperature Runeway’: The authors provide an interesting analysis of a high temperature runaway reaction in an ethane cracking unit within a shell-andtube heat exchanger which resulted in rup ture of the exchanger shell. Thirty foot flames arose in the methanator section immediately after the exchanger shell ruptured, releasing gas at 450 psig. Fottunateapplied cataiysls -
Volume 79 No. 2 40
ly, no one was injured and damage was limited to the small ruptured exchanger and a minor overhead cable tray. Laboratory studies using a diierential scanning calorimeter confirmed the hypothesis that finely dtvided iron or iron oxide from rust at under 300~ could have initiated the runaway. Rust is known to form on carbon steel equipment during construction, and rust ls believed to have been present in the system prior to start-up. The incident investigation indicated that the accumulation of rust in new equipment was capable of catalyzing ethylene hydrogenation and possibly other exothermic hydrogenation reactions. Total Management of Zeolltic Aluminum A recent article by A. Humphries, S.J. Yanik, L.A. Gerritsen, P.O’Connor and P.H. Desai in Hydrocarbon Processing, (April, 1991, p. 8S) reports on Akzo Chemical Inc.‘s commercialization of a Y teolite which optimizes the interaction between framework and non-framework aluminum. They summarize the importance of the total aluminum in FCC catalysts as determined by both the presence of framework and non-framework aluminum species. While not specifically identifying what they have done, they do report achieving a homogeneous aluminum surface during the zeoitte manufacturing and processing step in orderto optimize aluminum topography. Perfonance data are presented that show that this new zeolite development is effectlve both at minimising light gas production and in handling heavy feeds. They claim that the ADGSO catalyst produced about 1.5 wt.-% more gasoline than did reference catalysts wlth an increased yield of bran-
December 1991