- Email: [email protected]
Tunisian chemical site upgraded
N3
growth in the EC, the emrssron control business III the US is depressed due to the worldwide recession, but increasingly stringent legislation should guarantee at least slow growth over the perrod to 1995 According to Frost and Sulkvan, envtronmental concerns are also strongly nfluencing refinery operations, where demand for cleaner petrol and diesel fuel IS creating new opportunrtres for catalyst SupplIers The largest single contnbutor to catalyst demand in the crude oil refining sector IS fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) The market for FCC catalysts has for several years been suffering from severe global overcapar@, wrth the result that prtces have steadily deckned Despite this, the FCC sector IS forecast to expand steadily from rts present $531 million to $566 million by 1995 The third key applicatron area to be analyzed by the report, the chemical processing catalyst market, was worth $2 1 bullion in 1991 and is forecast to reach to $2 32 brllton by 1996 Wrthin thts sector, the largsst segment IS poiymerlzatron which was valued at $670 million in 1991 and is forecast to grow to $961 million in 1995 This IS followed by oxidation catalysts, worth $601 millron in 1991, hydrogenatton catalysts worth 9296 mrllron, and syngas catalysts on $204 million North Amenca ISby far the largest catalyst market, worth $2 39 billion in 1991, followed by Europe, on $1 16 billion, and Japan, on $770 million Europe IS, however, expected to show by far the fastest growth reaching nearly $1 95 billion by 1996, thus eating into the North American share of the world market
applied catalysis Ek envlronmental
Tunlslan Chemical Site Upgraded The Gabes chemical site in Tunisia IS to be upgraded to higher envrronmental standards by Snra Engineering under a 6336 millron contract Sulphur dioxide emissions from the Siape isulphurlc acid plant are to be decreased by 65%, using Monsanto Envirochem teuhnology The project is to be completed before mid 1994
Cleaner Catatytlc Proceseecl
In a feature article by D Rottman, and A Wood in the December 9th (1992) issue of Chemical Week, the authors describe the emergence of fundamental process changes in the chemical industry as berng driven by the focus for cleaner technologies Specifically, they refer to a new neoprene process which DuPont describes as the “first breakthrough in poiychloroprene monomer technology in 39 years” that will replace an existing vapourphase cholonnatron step by a patented lrqurd-phase cholonnation process In addrtron, DuPont recently unveiled new technology to make PTMEG (polytetramethylene ether giycol) Usmg a propnetary acid catalyst,they have modrfled their current process by replacing the current fluorosulfonrc acid for poiymerrzing THF to PTMEG The new catalyst can be recycled, ellmmating spent acid disposal Also, EniChem Synthesis has been working on a process to replace phosgene by using dimethyl carbonate (DMC) They have developed a process to manufacture high punty DMC directly from CO, methanol and oxygen, where the only srgnrfrcant byproduct IS CO2, wdhout any chlorinated tmpuntres Some productron capacrty (12 9OOtonne/year)of DMC IS already in place, Volume 2 No 1 - 16 March 1993
N4
wrth a large, future target opportunity for polycarbonate production JOHN N ARMOR Importance of lon Exchanged and Framework, Substltutlon In Zeolltes Y Ben Taarit has authored a fascinating chapter entitled “Catalysis by Exchanged Catrons and Zeokte Framework Sites* in Zeokte Microporous Solids, Synthesis, Structure, and Reactivity, edited by E G Derouane et al (Kluwer Academic Publishers, Netherlands, 1662) pp 347-371 This review article focuses primarily on the use of zeolltes in reactrons other than those raqulnng acidity or in petroleum chemistry It provides many references to papers on the use of zeolites as catalysts for electrophrlic reactions (addition, substitution, condensation and elimlnatron), nucleophilic reactions (condensation and substitutlon) , redox reactions, oxide catalysis, and NOx removal In addrtion, catalysis by framework elements, such as hydroxylatlon wdh TSl, IS also dIscussed In therr conclusions, the authors pornt to a potential revival in interest for zeolites as clean catalyst alternatives, provided that the ISsues of catalyst life and cost can be overcome In addttion, they cRethe potential for T-element substitution in tetrahedral frameworks as an opportunrty to build upon New French Waste Treatment Comblnation The French environmental serwces company Scan, formerly controlled by three cement manufactures, IS now 66% owned by Rhone-Poulenc and the waste management divrslon of Lyonnaise des Eaux-Dumez The last two joined forces applled catalysis B. Environmental
last year In the waste treatment firm Terls The new deal enables Teds to make use of waste treatment facilittes at 16 French and Belgian cement plants wtrlch together processed 366 W6 tonnes of liquid waste last year Other incinerator faclllties of RhonePoulenc for high-chlorine and high-sulphur waste are at Pont-de-Claix (France) and Rieme (Belgium) The new combination has plans to expand its operations in the rest of Europe Plastics Recycling In the Automobile Industry ROhm GmbH of Darmstadt and the HM Consortium for the Recycling of Valuable Materials - a pointventure of Huls AG and Metallgesellschaft AG - are working on a recycling project for the polymer parts of rear and indicator lights from motor vehicles Basic research work of Rohm, Porsche and Metallgesellschaft had shown that these parts are recyclable, and this was confirmed by further investigations The a/m of the point project IS to convert the entire rear and indicator light assembkes by corresponding treatment and compounding into a high-quality granulate suitable for demanding technical applcations Polymethyl methacrylate (PMM) -the polymer typically used for the glasses poses no recycling problem on Its own The difficulties arise from the fact that the units as a whole are composed of a great variety of materials The work performed in this context comprised processing, compounding, materials testing, manufacture of rear light housing from recycled material, testing the assembled pans, road tests and approval tests
Volume 2 No 1 - 15 March 1993
growth in the EC, the emrssron control business III the US is depressed due to the worldwide recession, but increasingly stringent legislation should guarantee at least slow growth over the perrod to 1995 According to Frost and Sulkvan, envtronmental concerns are also strongly nfluencing refinery operations, where demand for cleaner petrol and diesel fuel IS creating new opportunrtres for catalyst SupplIers The largest single contnbutor to catalyst demand in the crude oil refining sector IS fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) The market for FCC catalysts has for several years been suffering from severe global overcapar@, wrth the result that prtces have steadily deckned Despite this, the FCC sector IS forecast to expand steadily from rts present $531 million to $566 million by 1995 The third key applicatron area to be analyzed by the report, the chemical processing catalyst market, was worth $2 1 bullion in 1991 and is forecast to reach to $2 32 brllton by 1996 Wrthin thts sector, the largsst segment IS poiymerlzatron which was valued at $670 million in 1991 and is forecast to grow to $961 million in 1995 This IS followed by oxidation catalysts, worth $601 millron in 1991, hydrogenatton catalysts worth 9296 mrllron, and syngas catalysts on $204 million North Amenca ISby far the largest catalyst market, worth $2 39 billion in 1991, followed by Europe, on $1 16 billion, and Japan, on $770 million Europe IS, however, expected to show by far the fastest growth reaching nearly $1 95 billion by 1996, thus eating into the North American share of the world market
applied catalysis Ek envlronmental
Tunlslan Chemical Site Upgraded The Gabes chemical site in Tunisia IS to be upgraded to higher envrronmental standards by Snra Engineering under a 6336 millron contract Sulphur dioxide emissions from the Siape isulphurlc acid plant are to be decreased by 65%, using Monsanto Envirochem teuhnology The project is to be completed before mid 1994
Cleaner Catatytlc Proceseecl
In a feature article by D Rottman, and A Wood in the December 9th (1992) issue of Chemical Week, the authors describe the emergence of fundamental process changes in the chemical industry as berng driven by the focus for cleaner technologies Specifically, they refer to a new neoprene process which DuPont describes as the “first breakthrough in poiychloroprene monomer technology in 39 years” that will replace an existing vapourphase cholonnatron step by a patented lrqurd-phase cholonnation process In addrtron, DuPont recently unveiled new technology to make PTMEG (polytetramethylene ether giycol) Usmg a propnetary acid catalyst,they have modrfled their current process by replacing the current fluorosulfonrc acid for poiymerrzing THF to PTMEG The new catalyst can be recycled, ellmmating spent acid disposal Also, EniChem Synthesis has been working on a process to replace phosgene by using dimethyl carbonate (DMC) They have developed a process to manufacture high punty DMC directly from CO, methanol and oxygen, where the only srgnrfrcant byproduct IS CO2, wdhout any chlorinated tmpuntres Some productron capacrty (12 9OOtonne/year)of DMC IS already in place, Volume 2 No 1 - 16 March 1993
N4
wrth a large, future target opportunity for polycarbonate production JOHN N ARMOR Importance of lon Exchanged and Framework, Substltutlon In Zeolltes Y Ben Taarit has authored a fascinating chapter entitled “Catalysis by Exchanged Catrons and Zeokte Framework Sites* in Zeokte Microporous Solids, Synthesis, Structure, and Reactivity, edited by E G Derouane et al (Kluwer Academic Publishers, Netherlands, 1662) pp 347-371 This review article focuses primarily on the use of zeolltes in reactrons other than those raqulnng acidity or in petroleum chemistry It provides many references to papers on the use of zeolites as catalysts for electrophrlic reactions (addition, substitution, condensation and elimlnatron), nucleophilic reactions (condensation and substitutlon) , redox reactions, oxide catalysis, and NOx removal In addrtion, catalysis by framework elements, such as hydroxylatlon wdh TSl, IS also dIscussed In therr conclusions, the authors pornt to a potential revival in interest for zeolites as clean catalyst alternatives, provided that the ISsues of catalyst life and cost can be overcome In addttion, they cRethe potential for T-element substitution in tetrahedral frameworks as an opportunrty to build upon New French Waste Treatment Comblnation The French environmental serwces company Scan, formerly controlled by three cement manufactures, IS now 66% owned by Rhone-Poulenc and the waste management divrslon of Lyonnaise des Eaux-Dumez The last two joined forces applled catalysis B. Environmental
last year In the waste treatment firm Terls The new deal enables Teds to make use of waste treatment facilittes at 16 French and Belgian cement plants wtrlch together processed 366 W6 tonnes of liquid waste last year Other incinerator faclllties of RhonePoulenc for high-chlorine and high-sulphur waste are at Pont-de-Claix (France) and Rieme (Belgium) The new combination has plans to expand its operations in the rest of Europe Plastics Recycling In the Automobile Industry ROhm GmbH of Darmstadt and the HM Consortium for the Recycling of Valuable Materials - a pointventure of Huls AG and Metallgesellschaft AG - are working on a recycling project for the polymer parts of rear and indicator lights from motor vehicles Basic research work of Rohm, Porsche and Metallgesellschaft had shown that these parts are recyclable, and this was confirmed by further investigations The a/m of the point project IS to convert the entire rear and indicator light assembkes by corresponding treatment and compounding into a high-quality granulate suitable for demanding technical applcations Polymethyl methacrylate (PMM) -the polymer typically used for the glasses poses no recycling problem on Its own The difficulties arise from the fact that the units as a whole are composed of a great variety of materials The work performed in this context comprised processing, compounding, materials testing, manufacture of rear light housing from recycled material, testing the assembled pans, road tests and approval tests
Volume 2 No 1 - 15 March 1993