catalysts insight - evonik...

Catalysts InsightCustomer Magazine of the Catalysts Business Line Issue 8 | June 2015

Service Innovative packaging for a great productPage 7

News Evonik Acquires Monarch Catalyst in India

5

NewsNew HPPO catalyst operating success-fully in ChinaPage 15

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Mastering the challenges of the energy and raw materials marketsThe global energy and raw materials markets are in a state of fl ux. The supply of raw materials is changing, and new systems and processes are replacing old ones. However, Evonik’s Catalysts Business Line is ready for the changes. Their custom-ers will be able to count on their exceptional fl exibility, innovative strength, and practical mindset for years to come.

A major part of the world’s hunger for energy will still be met by coal, oil, and natural gas even in the year 2040. This was the conclusion drawn by the International Energy Agency in the most recent version of its World Ener-gy Outlook published in November of

last year. The report states that crude oil, coal, and fossil fuel gases will con-tinue to be our most important sources of electricity, heat, and chemical raw materials for the foreseeable future. Does that mean everything is just busi-ness as usual?

Not by a long shot: energy markets have seen more drastic change over the past several years than they have in quite a long time. The practice of fracking has opened up unconven-tional sources of oil and gas lying deep within the rock (tight oil and tight gas),

Catalysts Insight | Issue 8 | June 2015

Dear Reader,

It is amazing how many things have changed within the last year which have a signifi cant impact on our customers’ markets and therefore our markets: The continued success story of shale gas and tight oil in the US (other countries may follow), the dramatic drop of crude oil prices going along with breaking the power of the OPEC cartel, the “new normal” of only 7% GDP growth in China, the devaluation of the EURO against the US$ and other currencies, and hopefully the potential comeback of Iran as a growth market for petrochemical and chemical industry in the Middle East, just to name a few. These market fundamentals change the competitive position of products and processes. For instance bio based chemical building blocks, which were quite competitive at crude oil prices above 100 US$ / bbl, are no longer an economical alternative, hampering new process and catalysts development in case the low oil prices persist. You can read more about this on the following pages.

The review article in this Catalysts Insight issue on BDO processes is also a good example how raw material costs, catalysts, process technology, and geo-graphical factors impact the preferred route. It is intriguing to see how many commercially established processes, all with sophisticated catalyst technolo-gies, exist to make a “simple” molecule such as 1,4-Butanediol.

Is India coming back again with the new government being more business friendly? We shall see, because coincidently the Evonik Catalysts Business Line has completed the acquisition of Monarch Catalyst Pvt. Ltd. in India, located near Mumbai. Monarch is active in oils & fats hydrogenation catalysts, acti-vated base metal catalysts and precious metal catalysts – an excellent strategic complement to our existing business with a production site in an attractive growth region. Closing took place on June 5, 2015 and you will certainly read more about this acquisition in the next issue of our magazine.

As always: please let us know at www.evonik.com/catalysts your opinion and suggestions of what you would like to read here in future issues.

Happy Reading

Editorial

Dr Wilfried EulSenior Vice PresidentHead of Business Line [email protected]

▸ ▸ ▸ markedly expanding the supply of eco-nomical fossil fuels within a short time. Countries that were once energy import-ers – such as China and the US – are now increasing their ability to produce energy by creating processing capacity on the basis of their own raw materials. In addition, India, China, and Australia intend to rely on their coal deposits as a source of chemical raw materials much more than they have in the past.

As a catalyst manufacturer with oper-ations throughout the world, Evonik is keeping a close eye on current changes in the energy markets, as these impact the chemicals processing industry gen-erally, and the petrochemicals industry in particular. And neither can function without catalysts. In the petrochemicals industry, catalysts act on the hydrocar-bons extracted from oil and gas, help-ing transform them into base chemicals such as ethylene, propylene, butadiene, and butene. These are used for produc-ing more complex molecules and prod-ucts, which are needed at the end of the value-added chain for fi bers, foils, plas-tics, foams, coatings, plasticizers, and solvents.

Evonik currently supplies around one hundred types of catalysts for industrial chemical and petrochemical processes, and many of those are used for oxida-tion or hydrogenation reactions. Some of these are standard catalysts used in the same applications for diff erent custom-ers in diff erent regions. Many times the products are a result of unique develop-ment work that the Catalysts Business Line has undertaken in cooperation with customers in order to tailor catalysts to specific processes or defined process steps. Such custom catalysts ensure that customers receive effi cient, sustainable solutions optimized for their processes. As part of this project-based business, catalyst experts at Evonik bundle the expertise and knowledge they have acquired through years of work in a variety of fi elds to create a fl exible, prac-tical approach that is much in demand throughout the world.

2 MARKET


MARKET 3

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It makes no fundamental diff erence whether a base chemical is derived from traditional or unconventional sources of oil or gas. Changes in the energy market, however, mean that supply structures, process requirements, and the prices and availability of raw materials can change as well – parameters that determine whether (petro)chemical processes will be profi table and how well the catalysts used will perform. This transformation of the global energy market is also usher-ing in changes in demand and new chal-lenges for Evonik’s catalyst developers.

A prime example of this is propyl-ene, one of the most important starting materials in petrochemical applications. Roughly two-thirds of global produc-tion is earmarked for manufacturing polypropylene (a bulk plastic made from propylene) and important chemi-cal intermediates such as propylene oxide, butyraldehyde (and oxo alco-hols), cumene, acrylonitrile, acrolein, and acrylic acid.

For a long time, propylene was obtained almost exclusively as an eth-ylene by-product either in steam crack-ers or in catalytic cracking processes at refi neries. In a steam cracker, a mix of hydrocarbons from petroleum is split into shorter molecules. In recent years, the propylene-to-ethylene ratio in the mix of cracker products has been thrown off balance due to rising demand for pro-pylene. The recent change to lightweight blends of reactants produces less pro-pylene. Therefore important players in the US, China, and the Middle East are increasingly looking to new plants and processes capable of selectively gener-ating propylene from low-cost, short-chained hydrocarbons such as propane or methane.

What is known as “shale oil” (tight oil) and “shale gas” (tight gas) now allow refi neries to obtain signifi cantly larger quantities of the starting mate-rial (propane) at much lower prices than was the case just a few years ago. As a result, thermocatalytic conversion of propane has become an increasingly


4 MARKET

▸ ▸ ▸ important alternative route to propyl-ene. Over the past fi ve years, roughly 15 new plants have been constructed around the world to accommodate the propane dehydrogenation process, and more than 10 additional plants are in the project development or planning stages. This has increased the demand for new specialty catalysts to drive reac-tions such as selective hydrogenation, which breaks down the undesirable multiple bonds arising as by-products of the propane dehydrogenation core process. Evonik makes catalysts that selectively hydrogenates these by-prod-ucts. Not only does this prevent coking within the reactor system, but it also increases propylene yields while keep-ing by-products to a minimum, result-ing in an increased cost effi ciency of the overall process.

Changes in the energy market are reinforcing two major trends in catalyst development. On the one hand, mod-ern methods are expected to generate as few by-products as possible and con-sume as little energy as possible. That requires catalyst systems to be highly selective and active. Also, certain impu-rities in the reactor feed have an impact on product life, and manufacturers are increasingly looking for catalysts that are not sensitive to these substances such as sulfur. This is where Evonik’s expertise with tailor-made catalysts comes into play. The benefi ts of custom-ized catalysts are twofold: they increase

the yield and effi ciency of processes and methods, plus they can facilitate a new breakthrough synthesis route to coun-ter changing raw materials supplies.

Renewable resources have to be part of any discussion of energy mar-kets, as roughly ten percent of all chemical products are already made from bio-based raw materials. One of the blockbusters in this market is bio-ethanol obtained by fermenting sugars derived from plant material, and lead-ing the way over the past ten years are the United States and Brazil, which have built up enormous bioethanol produc-tion capacities. Today’s global output from bioethanol plants is roughly the same as the amount of propylene pro-duced throughout the world. While the lion’s share of this alcohol is burned as a gasoline additive, bioethanol is also becoming increasingly important as a chemical raw material.

Evonik’s catalyst experts have vari-ous projects underway to explore the potential for using bioethanol in new catalytic processes. Currently, a num-ber of projects of the Catalysts Business Line (within the Industrial & Petro-chemicals market segment) is focused on bio-based developments. Working alongside customers, researchers are investigating conditions for manufac-turing high-quality chemicals, such as solvents or monomers, from reactants like ethanol. The company uses its many years of experience with tailor-made catalyst systems to fi nd new solutions for new questions: Which new or modi-fi ed catalyst is most suitable? How well does it perform in a large-scale plant? What basic process engineering opera-tions are needed for the scale-up pro-cess to yield the ideal catalyst?

It is an open secret that the pre-dominant price of oil always defines the search for biological alternatives: high oil prices make investing in new bioprocesses worthwhile; when prices are low, however, interest in bio-based processes vanishes fairly quickly. That, however, is very short-sighted. Over the long term, processes based on renew-ables will continue to gain importance, as renewable resources o� en have bet-

ter energy and emissions profi les, foster innovation, and, last but not least, can ease our dependence on fossil fuels – the key reasons why renewable raw materials receive political support.

The world is clearly going to contin-ue needing more energy. But because no one is currently in a position to say how production structures, suppli-ers, and markets will look like in ten or twenty years. Most public debates revolve around short-term shifts in supply and demand. While fracking, for instance, is generating considerable discussion and headlines, in the greater scheme of things it only accounts for a relatively small portion of the world’s supply of energy and raw materials. Plus, the profi tability of unconventional deposits grows and shrinks as crude oil prices rise and fall. The same applies to the boom in biomaterials. The rate at which bio-based raw materials grow in importance on a global scale depends on a number of factors, not least of which are the political environment and the willingness of industry to make the cor-responding investments.

One thing is certain: the variety and quantity of raw materials are changing all over the world. Another certainty is that the only players that will rise to these new challenges are those that are fl exible, reliable, and practical in their constant eff orts to fi nd the best solu-tions for their customers in a changing market. The Catalysts Business Line has long embraced this attitude. The catalysts that the business line devel-ops in collaboration with customers and partners are competitive – in business, technological, and ecological terms – and will outlast the rapid ups and downs in the media and popular opinion. They will also help ensure that highly effi -cient processes will be available for the future. ■

Contact persons:Tim Busse

Dr Hans Lansink Rotgerink


3 questions

BUSINESS 5

3 questions for ... ... Dr Claus Rettig, chairman of the Management Board of the Resource Effi ciency Segment

1 2 3The Catalysts Business Line now belongs to the Resource Effi ciency Segment. Sounds logical, right? Our segment is in fact the right home for Evonik’s catalysts business – we are, a� er all, the specialty chemicals segment at Evonik. We focus on solutions for indus-trial customers and applications, so the catalysts business fi ts in perfectly. What’s more, our catalysts enable the effi cient use of resources such as raw materials and energy.

The new segments manage the operational business of Evonik. What advantage does that off er for (catalyst) customers? The new Evonik structure is less central-ized, which means it is more fl exible and above all quicker at making major deci-sions. The business systems and the strate-gy of our Resource Effi ciency Segment are aligned with our specifi c customer groups and markets. Our segment is made up of 9 diff erent business lines, some of which serve the same customers. In the future, our customers should perceive better coordination between the individual units. Furthermore, we hope to become signifi -cantly more innovative, which is why we have bundled our research and develop-ment together in the segment.

How does the Segment Management Board plan to further develop the catalysts business? The catalysts business is one of our busi-ness areas in which we want to see sub-stantial growth – on a global level. To help achieve this, we will be more active in looking into suitable acquisition options. A fi rst example of this is the takeover of the Indian catalyst specialists, Monarch. The acquisition of Monarch has not only expanded our technology basis, but also our global presence. ■

3 questionsDr Claus Rettig, Chairman of the Management Board of the Resource Effi ciency Segment


6 BUSINESS

Success in diffi cult conditionsIn 2014 Evonik performed well in dif-fi cult market conditions and achieved its forecast targets. Speaking at the Evonik Financial Press Conference in Essen, Germany, Evonik Industries AG Chair-man Klaus Engel stated, “We invested in demonstrating a good deal of ‘Power to create.’”

“We did our homework and are now poised for a new phase of profitable growth.” In the past year, he explained, Evonik had made worldwide invest-ments in new production capacities, in innovation, and in its employees, had continued optimizing its administrative and cost structures, and had solidifi ed

its sound financial profile. “Our new Group structure allows far more dif-ferentiated management of the various business and more targeted develop-ment,” he pointed out.

The stage has been set for fi scal 2015 sales and operating profi t fi gures to be slightly higher than those of the previous year, Engel said, outlining the company’s expectations. Given the strong start to the year he is optimistic that Evonik will achieve its targets.

Evonik intends to continue its dis-ciplined growth strategy based on its strong performance and solid fi nancial profi le. “We will mobilize the company’s resources and funds for further growth,” said Engel. He also said that innova-tions are the driving force of Evonik’s growth strategy. The aim is to strength-en Evonik’s leading market positions and to benefi t from megatrends such as health, nutrition, resource effi ciency and globalization.

“Our goal is to address the ongoing change in our sector and play a part in shaping it from a position of strength,” Engel continued. In 2014, Evonik invest-ed €1.1 billion in new production facili-ties, including around €420 million at its German sites. The largest single investment in the company’s history prior to this had been the methionine complex in Singapore, which came on stream last year. ■


SERVICE 7

Four advantages of combi drums • Internal plastic container prevents direct contact between the product and the wall of the drum

• No modifi cations to existing handling and emptying equipment are required

• The catalyst can be stirred within the stable internal drum using suitable stirrers

• Outer wall of the drum treated with a special, durable fi nish

Innovative packaging for a great productEvonik now off ers Raney-type nickel catalysts in combi drums, which off er major advantages over standard steel drums.

Raney-type nickel catalysts from Evonik have long proven their value in the phar-ma, agro chemicals and food ingredients industry. They are used for manufac-turing sorbitol (a low-calorie sugar), by hydrogenation of glucose, and for syn-thesizing active pharmaceutical ingredi-ents and intermediates. Such applications require high-quality materials according to the regulatory standards for these industries. The catalysts are metallic nickel skeleton materials with a very large internal surface. Due to their pyro-phoric properties they are classifi ed as dangerous goods that generally require the catalyst to be shipped as an aqueous suspension. Exemptions are so called pellets, where the catalyst is imbedded in fats or waxes for use in non-aqueous system. Up to now, the catalyst suspen-sion has been stored and shipped to the customer in steel drums that are coated on the inside and outside and fi lled to just under the brim. The drum lids have a pressure relief valve to release small quantities of hydrogen to the atmo-sphere. The hydrogen is permanently liberated from the catalysts.

Occasionally the steel drum corrodes at the interface between the liquid and gas phases. This phenomenon is due in part to hydrogen gas, which is constantly being released. Under unfavorable stor-age or transportation conditions (higher temperatures or long storage times) it diff uses through the coating layer. This causes the coating to peel away from the steel, allowing local areas of corrosion to develop. While such local corrosion generally does not impair the catalyst performance, concerns and complaints

customers in particular from the phar-ma and food ingredients industries were reason enough to take action.

Evonik experts fi rst tried testing new coating systems on standard steel. When that did not work, they decided to intro-duce an innovative packing known as a combi drum. A combi drum is a steel drum coated with a special black fi nish; then a highly stable internal drum made of durable plastic is pressed into this outer drum like a liner, fi tting just over the edge of the drum. The self-contained inner container is so robust that the drum will not leak, even if the outer wall is damaged, thus preventing unwanted release of the hazardous material.

Customers who obtain Raney-type catalysts in standard drums do not need to make any changes to their handling and emptying equipment, because the dimensions of the combi drums cor-respond to those of common drums. The internal liner is stable enough that the catalyst can be stirred in the drum itself. The previous standard drums will remain in our portfolio along with the new combi drums. ■

Contact: [email protected]


8 BUSINESS

Twice as many reasons to celebrateEvonik catalyst production in Tsukuba, Japan, celebrated its 25th anniversary in October 2014. The occasion also provided an opportunity to honor employees for acci-dent-free operation from day one.

“A� er a diffi cult start, the breakthrough for our catalysts business in Japan came in the middle of the last decade when we successfully implemented a project for a key Japanese customer,” said Ulrich Sieler, president of Evonik Japan, speak-ing at the awards presentation. After this milestone, production volumes and the number of customers rose steadily. Picking up where Sieler le� off , Tsutomu Nishio, the site manager and production manager for catalysts in Tsukuba, added, “Catalyst production conditions are very complex, and involve hazardous materi-als, extremely valuable precious metals, and a variety of constantly changing pro-cesses that require a great deal of manual labor – an environment that underscores the value of this achievement. Over the past three years, we have implemented several investment projects without interrupting operations or compromis-ing production. Doing so has created

additional challenges, but our employ-ees have met these with fl ying colors,” Nishio went on to say.

The site employees were also recog-nized for their achievement in occupa-tional safety: ever since it started up on September 27, 1989, the site has oper-ated accident-free and without a single workday lost due to an accident. That is such an outstanding and rare achieve-ment for a chemical production site that it has by far surpassed Evonik’s highest safety award – platinum for 20 accident-free years. Dr Wilfried Eul, Head of the Catalysts Business Line, congratulated the employees: “You can all be very proud of your accomplishments in occu-pational safety, in health and environ-mental protection, and in your business performance. All of our workers and supervisors in every area of the business line have always made on-the-job safety and environmental protection their top

priority, agreeing upon clear goals and rules, and consistently monitoring for compliance. We encourage you to never stop giving it 100%.”

The team in Tsukuba produces chemi-cal catalysts and specialty preparations containing precious metals, and oper-ate Applied Technology laboratories for products containing precious metals. Evonik produces precious metal powder catalysts at six sites around the world: Tsukuba (Japan), Hanau (Germany), Calvert City (Kentucky, US), Shanghai (China), and Udaipur (Rajasthan, India). Precious metal powder catalysts are used in the pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, fi ne chemicals, and industrial chemicals industries to provide economical, selec-tive synthesis routes for a wide range of products.

Located roughly 60 km northeast of Tokyo on Japan’s main island of Honshu, Tsukuba was planned in the 1960s as a “science city” and is home to universi-ties, public and private research insti-tutes, and countless high-tech compa-nies. Besides the catalyst production Evonik’s Tsukuba site provides services for pharmaceutical products and the Evonik Japan Coatings Lab, which the company operates to provide tailor-made solutions for customers in the paints and coatings industry. ■

Contact: [email protected]

2014 25th anniversary

Laboratories a� er modernization in 2012.

Evonik has been producing precious metal powder catalysts at its site in Tsukuba, Japan, for 25 years.

“Our strengths lie in catalyst technology of the highest quality, excellent customer service, and global teamwork between research, applied technology, production, and sales.” Hideo Funabashi, General Manager Business Line Catalysts Japan, Korea & South East Asia, and Director in the Board of Evonik Japan

1989Start of Production

1989 – 2005 Customer base developed

2006 – 2007 Growth project launched aimed at strengthening mar-keting activities and technical support

2009 Capacity expanded with new plants

2011 Production interrupted for two weeks due to earthquake

2012 Research and development laboratories modernized and expanded

Evonik Tsukuba Site

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BUSINESS 9

BDO: “Catalyst Technologies and Raw Materials; which technology will prevail?”1,4-Butanediol (BDO) is a linear alpha, omega-diol with many industrial applica-tions and an annual growth rate of 1,5 to 2 times that of GDP (1). The main appli-cations are for the production of tetra-hydrofuran (THF, 50 %), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT, 21 %), gama-butyr-olactone (GBL, 13 %) and polyurethanes (PU, 12 %) as shown in Figure 1 below (1). THF is by far the largest application and approximately 81 % of it is converted

to polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMEG) which is a component of cast and thermoplastic urethane elastomers, spandex and high-performance co-poly-ester-polyether elastomers(2). The second largest use of BDO is the production of PBT performance thermoplastics for the electronics industry. The conversion of BDO to GBL is the third largest applica-tion and even though GBL has its own uses in the agrochemicals, pharmaceu-

tical and resin industries; it is also used to produce N-methyl-pyrrolidine and N-vinyl pyrrolidone. A considerable amount of BDO is used as a component in polyurethanes and it has smaller spe-cialty applications as well. Although the applications of BDO are very diverse, approximately ~40 % of it is used to make PTMEG and this is the major driver for growth.

46 (3 %)Others

2012

1.560 KT

186 (12 %)PU

207 (13 %)GBL

334 (21 %)PBT

787 (50 %)THF

PBT- Performance thermoplastics n

n

n

DMT-H2O

OHHO

H+

H+

PTMEG

- Organic synthesis- Solvents

Others:- Organic synthesis- Solvents- Special coatings & sealants

isocyanatesand other PUcomponents

Polyurethanes

- Co-polyester ether- Thermoplastics- Spandex fibers

~81% of THF is usedto make PTMEG

Cu CatalystH2

NH3

CH3NH2

GBL

O

O

O

O O

O

O

OO

O

THF

O

O

H

N

N

ON

Me

N

O2-pyrrolidone

- Organic synthesis- Resins

N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP)- Extraction solvent- Polyaramide fibers- Cleaning agent

N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone

Polyvinylpyrrolidone

acetylene

Figure 1. The applications of BDO (1).

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10 BUSINESS

Figure 2 displays the history and future of BDO as well as the price to % utilization correlation. This BDO mar-ket data came from available reports (1,

3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12) and data for beyond 2017 were supplemented with infor-mation from the database of ICIS Plants and Projects (13) as well as producer (14, 15)

and licensor (16) internet sites. One can see that there was a normal relationship between BDO price, plant utilization, BDO capacity and BDO consumption up to 2006. From 2009 to 2012 there was surprisingly an increase in price even though the degree of utilization was fall-ing due to the construction of new BDO capacity. Even though the current BDO price (1620 USD/t) is much lower than that of 2012, there are still plans to build more capacity. Almost all of the new capacity will be in China and Taiwan (1,

12, 13, 15, 16). The only exceptions will be the Bio-BDO plants to be built by BioAmber in North America and by Genomatica in

Italy (1, 13). Figure 3 displays the commer-cial production processes for BDO (1, 2, 3, 4,

5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)

and it shows how complex this market has become. BDO is commercially pro-duced with possibly six diff erent feed-stocks via diff erent technologies and the market share of each will be determined by its competitiveness.

Commercial quantities of BDO were first produced by the ethynylation of formaldehyde with acetylene over a CuBi catalyst to produce butynediol (BYD) that is then hydrogenated to BDO. Walter Reppe and his co-workers devel-oped this ethynylation process (31, 32, 33, 34,

35, 36) where the Cu acetylide catalyst is doped with bismuth to inhibit the forma-tion water insoluble polymeric cuprenes that can clog up the system (31, 35). The ini-tial ethynylation process used high pres-sure acetylene over a fi xed bed CuBi cat-alyst (35, 36) and it was diffi cult to control because acetylene is explosive at partial

pressures above 1.4 bar (36). The extra costs and safety concerns of this process limited its use to only BASF, Dupont and GAF (currently Ashland) until the late 1970s (4). This high pressure process has since been replaced with various low pressure safer fl uidized bed processes with improved heat transfer properties that use powder CuBi catalysts that may (37, 38, 39, 40) or may not utilize a support (41,42, 43, 44, 45). These improvements in ethynylation safety and effi ciency have made the BDO Reppe process more com-petitive and accessible.

Today‘s price1620 USD/t

?

BDO Capacity BDO consumption % Utilization BDO Price USD/kg

5.500

5.000

4.500

4.000

3.500

3.000

2.500

2.000

1.500

1.000

500

0

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0 1974 1980 1996 1998 2000 2003 2006 2009 2012 >2017

% kt bzw. USD/t

Figure 2. The history and future of the BDO market situation (1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12). The BDO capacity data for >2017 includes data from the websites of BDO producers (14, 15), BDO licensors (16) and the database of ICIS Plants and Projects (13).

BDO is commercially produced with possibly six diff erent feedstocks via diff erent technologies and the market share of each will be determined by its competitiveness.

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BUSINESS 11

There are 3 main BDO processes based on Reppe chemistry being used today. The most widely licensed and used process was initially developed by Dupont (23, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45) and it now belongs to Invista. The Invista process starts with a low pressure ethynylation that utiliz-es a fl uidized bed of a Bi doped copper carbonate powder catalyst (41, 42, 43, 44, 45)

followed by the subsequent hydrogena-tion of the resulting BYD to BDO over an in-situ activated NiAl alloy catalyst (23). The hydrogenation catalyst is in the form of 6 – 8 or 4 – 8 mesh 42 % Ni / 58 % Al alloy granules that are loaded in the reactor and activated in-situ with a dilute caustic solution that leaches away approximately 8 to 25 % of the aluminum to generate the active catalyst (23). Since beginning licensing activities, Invista will be expected to have sold 15 licenses to Asian customers (~96 % of these are in China) for the production capacity of 1175 kt of BDO by the end of 2015 (16).

Another widely used version of Reppe technology was developed by the GAF Corporation that then became ISP before it was taken over by Ashland. The Ash-land Reppe process utilizes a CuBi cata-lyst supported on a magnesium silicate powder for the low pressure ethynyl-ation of formaldehyde with acetylene

and the hydrogenation of BYD is per-formed in two distinct stages. The BYD is initially hydrogenated in a stirred tank reactor with a powder activated Ni cata-lyst at the pressure of 13.8 to 20.7 bars and that is followed by a continuous high pressure hydrogenation over a Cu and Mn doped Ni on silica fi xed bed cata-lyst in a polishing reactor (46). Ashland has licensed this technology to Shanxi Sanwei and a Shanxi Sanwei version of this process has been licensed to other companies in China. It is estimated that this technology accounts for 345 kt of the current BDO capacity in the world.

The original Reppe technology was developed at BASF and constant improvements have been made to keep it competitive. The current BASF process utilizes a Bi doped Cu on silica catalyst for the low pressure ethynylation of formaldehyde with acetylene (37) and the BYD hydrogenation is potentially carried out with a version of their NiO/CuO/MoO3/ZrO2 catalyst that needs to be activated at 250 °C and 150 bar before use (47). It is estimated that at least 350 kt of BDO is produced with this technology and BASF will expand its BDO capacity in the USA by 10 % (14, 48). BASF has also used other BDO technologies and has even formed BDO joint ventures with

others. BASF and its joint ventures have a world leading capacity of 670 kt BDO, however, if we do not count the joint ventures, BASF would have the second largest BDO capacity.

Acetylene was previously thought to be too expensive for BDO production (4), however acetylene only provides 29 % of BDO’s weight and the other 71 % comes from cheaper formaldehyde and hydro-gen. Furthermore, acetylene produced by the partial oxidation of natural gas is far less expensive than that made from coal via the calcium carbide process (49). In spite of this, 98 % of the acetylene in China is made from coal via the calcium carbide process because China prefers to be self-suffi cient by using their large coal reserves instead of imported gas and oil. This Coal-to-Chemicals program in China has led to the resurgence of acet-ylene based chemical production (50, 51)

such as the Reppe process for BDO. The BDO yield for a typical Reppe process is 93 mole % based on acetylene and 90 mole % based on formaldehyde (4) and in some reports it can be calculated to be higher (3). The Reppe technologies have the fewest process steps and the highest yields which make them very competitive.

Mo homogeneous catethylbenzene hydroperoxide

100 – 130°C38 bar

HOAcPdCu/SiO2

O2

176°C 4,4 bar

300°C1 barLi3PO4

catalyst

105°C1 bar

60°C2 – 4 bar

60°C100 bar

60°C3 bar

70°C, 68 bar60 – 110°C90 bar

95 – 108°C1 bar

50 – 120°C170 – 270 bar

2 stages:25 – 250 bar60 – 150°C

CuBiCatalystpH 4 – 590°C, 1 bar

H2

Ni catalyst

0.5%Pd/TiO2

H2

1%Ru+6%Re/Cor

3%Pd+3%Ag+10%Re/C 95 – 108°C1 bar

390 – 450°C2 bar

165°C270 bar

165°C270 bar

109°C, 42 bar

170°C, 42 bar

400°C, 1 – 2 bar

Acidicresin

Acidicresin

V2O5, O2H2O

VPO, O2

Copper ChromiteCatalystH2Copper Chromite

Catalyst, H2

MeOH

MeOH

Fermentationprocess

Dextrose

Dextrose

H2

1%Pd/Ccatalyst

2%Pd + 0.7%Te/CCatalystHOAc/O2

CationExchangeResin

- 2 HOAc

AcO-CH2CH=CHCH2-OAc

H2

Ni catalyst

H2/CORh homogeneouscatalyst

Acidicresin

O

O

O OOH

OH

OHO

O

OO

O O

OHHO

O O

OHHO

O

O

OH

HO

OHHO

2

HH

O

OHHO

O

O OO

O

OMeMeOO O

OMeMeO

37°C

Fermentationprocess

Fermentationprocess

37°C

37°C

O

Figure 3. The commercial BDO production processes (1 – 10 and 17 – 30)

▸ ▸ ▸

12 BUSINESS

Catalysts Insight

Butadiene (BD) was the second feed-stock used for the production of BDO. The Toyo Soda Company of Japan was the fi rst to do so on a 4 kt BDO scale. The sequence of this process was BD chlori-nation to 1,4-dichloro-2-butene(DCB), DCB hydrolysis with sodium formate fol-lowed by NaOH neutralization to gen-erate NaCl and 2-butene-1,4-diol (BED) and hydrogenation of BED to BDO over a Ni catalyst (5). This process was only used from the early 1970s to the early 1980s due to uncompetitive high raw material costs. Mitsubishi was the second to use BD and their process acetoxylates BD with acetic acid (HOAc) over a PdTe/C powder catalyst to yield 1,4-diacetoxy-2-butene that is hydrogenated with a Pd/C catalyst to 1,4-diacetoxybutane and hydrolyzed to BDO with HOAc recycle to the acetoxylation process (3, 4,

20). Mitsubishi not only uses this process, but they have also licensed it to Nan Ya (1). This process has the BDO yield of 80 to 85 % based on BD (1) and its profi tabil-ity is heavily dependent on the histori-cally broad price swings of BD (3). In 2011 the price of BD was around 3 USD per kg in Asia (52) and Mitsubishi responded by keeping their 30 kt BDO line closed for 2 years (53). BD currently costs ~0.81 to 0.90 USD/kg due to its surplus and a drop in demand. However the closing of naphtha crackers and the use of shale gas for ethylene production will drive the availability of BD down and result in higher prices (54), thereby making the future of this technology less certain.

Propylene is another BDO feedstock that has increased its market share since its introduction in 1990 by Arco (now LyondellBasell) (4). The LyondellBasell process starts with the epoxidation of propylene to propylene oxide (PO) with either ethylbenzene hydroperox-ide (EBHP) or tertiary-butyl hydroper-oxide (TBHP) over a homogeneous Mo catalyst. In the case of EBHP, methyl

phenyl carbinol is the coproduct that is dehydrated to styrene for sale in the marketplace. If TBHP is used, tertiary-butylalcohol is the coproduct that can be dehydrated to isobutylene and con-verted to methyl tertiary-isobutyl ether with methanol. The PO yield with EBHP is 87 – 91 % and with TBHP it is 94 % (55, 56, 57). PO is then opened up with a Li3PO4 catalyst to allyl alcohol in 94 % yield and the side products are propanal, acetone and propanol. The allyl alcohol is subjected to hydroformylation with a rhodium homogeneous catalyst to give a mixture of 4-hydroxybutanal (79.1 %), 2-methyl-3-hydroxypropanal (11.3 %), propanal (6.4 %) and propanol (3.2 %). This mixture is then hydrogenated with a powder Raney-type Ni catalyst to BDO, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol (MPO) and propanol (3, 4). The BDO-to-MPO ratio is controlled by the homogeneous Rh cata-lyst ligand system and both diols are sold in the market place (58). This BDO pro-cess has been successful, however it does have a lot of steps and its profi tability depends on the value of its coproducts (55, 56, 57).

The Dairen Chemical Company also produces BDO from propylene (59) and they are currently the world’s largest single BDO producer with a capacity of 630 kt (15). This process starts by the ace-toxylation of propylene with HOAc over a Pd+Cu on silica catalyst to yield allyl acetate that is hydrolyzed to allyl alcohol and HOAc (60, 61). The allyl alcohol then undergoes hydroformylation and hydro-genation in a similar fashion to that of the LyondellBasell process (62, 63). Dairen also sells both BDO and MPO (64).

There are two existing BDO processes that use butane. One of these processes was developed by BP, it was later sold to ISP and ISP was taken over by Ashland. Hence Ashland is now producing BDO by both Reppe chemistry and a butane pro-cess called Geminox™ (4, 21). This process

starts with the oxidation of butane at 93,5 % conversion per pass to a mixture of maleic anhydride (MAH) (52 % yield), CO and CO2

(21). The maleic acid can be directly reduced with a PdReAg/C cata-lyst to a 94 % BDO, 2 % GBL, 1 %THF and 3 % butanol mixture (21). It was found that maleic acid is very corrosive under the acid to alcohol hydrogenation conditions and if maleic acid is fi rst reduced with a Pd on titania catalyst to succinic acid, there is considerably less reactor corro-sion (24, 25, 26). Hence this is now a two-step reduction. One 65 kt BDO plant based on this technology was built in Ohio and there have not been any announced plans to build another.

The other butane technology has been off ered by Johnson Matthey Davy Technologies and it also starts with the oxidation of butane to MAH via a pro-cess initially developed by Hunstman (4, 21). The MAH yield from butane is also around 50 % (21) and butane oxida-tion over vanadium phosphorous mixed oxide catalysts is typically assumed to yield around 50 to 60 % MAH on a molar basis with at least 80 % butane conver-sion (36, 65). The Davy process then con-verts MAH stepwise to the mono-methyl maleate ester with methanol and then to dimethyl maleate (DMM) with methanol and a macroporous acidic ion exchange resin. The DMM is then hydrogenated to BDO with a copper chromite catalyst (22). Converting MAH to DMM avoids the corrosion problems associated with maleic acid hydrogenation, but it comes with a higher capital investment and extra steps for BDO production. The Davy process is the most successful butane based BDO route and they have sold many licenses totaling more than 700 kt in BDO capacity.

Benzene can also be oxidized to MAH and further reduced to BDO. The oxida-tion of benzene to MAH is carried out with the V2O5 catalyst in oxygen at

The Reppe technologies have the fewest process steps and the highest yields which make them very competitive.

▸ ▸ ▸


BUSINESS 13

Catalysts Insight

98 % conversion and 70 – 73 % yield (29). Although benzene oxidation to MAH is more eff ective than butane oxidation, benzene is considerably more expen-sive (66, 67). In the USA and Europe, most of the MAH plants use butane as a raw material due to improved economics and environmental reasons (28, 29). Approxi-mately 81 % of all MAH produced in China is from the oxidation of benzene and the remaining 19 % is produced from butane (27). The Davy BDO technology has utilized butane oxidation for its MAH source (3, 4) and its current website lists MAH from either butane or benzene oxi-dation as a viable raw material (30).

The latest raw material for BDO is dextrose that is fermented with gene modified Escherichia coli bacteria to either BDO or succinic acid (SA) that can be further hydrogenated to BDO (17). Genomatica, BioAmber and Myriant have all worked on Bio-BDO and the potential advantages are fewer unit operations, greater selectivity, gentler operating conditions, commodity diff erentiation with the “bio” label and raw material diversification (68). Genomatica has a direct fermentation route to BDO that does not require a hydrogenation step

and BASF has licensed this technology since 2013 (69). Both BioAmber and Myri-ant produce bio-SA that can be reduced to BDO (17). The future looks promising for Bio-BDO, however this technology has a somewhat lower throughput and it generates a lot of process water. The development of more robust bacteria that could function in concentrated BDO streams could solve these problems.

The upcoming BDO over capacity in Asia will put a lot of pressure on this mar-ket and only the best technologies will survive. Figure 4 shows which feedstocks have been used and will be used for the production of BDO. The use of acetylene based Reppe technology has dominated BDO production in the past and it will also dominate it in the future. The largest growth in BDO capacity will be expected to come from Invista Performance Tech-nology licenses to Chinese BDO produc-ers (16). It was thought in the 1990s that the improved economics of the newer butane/MAH based BDO plants would shut down most of the Reppe BDO plants (4), but this never happened due to low MAH yields and the costs of mitigating maleic acid corrosion. Recent information from the database of ICIS Plant and Proj-

ects, indicated that three plants known to use MAH as a BDO intermediate are being idled (13,70,71). These temporary clo-sures suggest that the predicted growth of BDO based on MAH from either butane of benzene will probably not occur. It was also thought that Bio-BDO would be more competitive than Reppe BDO (17), however the currently low oil prices will probably postpone its rollout and could lead to its reassessment. Another BDO feedstock that may see a downturn is BD due to its anticipated shortages and higher prices that will follow the shi� from naphtha to shale gas for ethylene production (54). The only BDO feedstock other than acetylene that is growing would be propylene and this is due mostly to its combination of raw materials costs and acceptable high yields in the corresponding processes. Hence the winning BDO technologies appear to be based on either Reppe chemistry or propylene and not on C4 or bio-feedstocks.

In any case, Evonik is well positioned to work with BDO producers to provide the best catalyst solutions to keep them competitive. ■

Dr Daniel Ostgard

Acetylene Maleic Anhydride Propylene Butadiene Dextrose

3.500

3.000

2.500

2.000

1.500

1.000

500

0 1974 1980 1996 1998 2000 2003 2006 2009 2012 >2017

kt BDO

Figure 4. The history and future of BDO production according to raw materials and technologies (1 – 17).



14 BUSINESS

1 S. Davis, T. Kälin and T. Kumamoto, Chemical Economics Handbook 1,4-Butanediol (621.5000), April 2013, IHS Chemical. 2 S. Davis, T. Kälin and T. Kumamoto, Chemical Economics Handbook Tetrahydrofuran (695.3000), March 2013, IHS Chemical. 3 Polybutylene terephthalate and butanediol, Process Economic Economics Report 96B, October 1997, SRI International. 4 1,4-Butanediol/THF 98/99S1, September 1999, Chem Systems.5 L.M. Elkin,“Polybutylene terephthalate and butanediol“, Report No. 96, May 1975, SRI Interna-tional.6 L.M. Elkin,”1,4-Butanediol by electrochemical synthesis”, Process Economics Program, Review No. 80-3-3, October 1981, SRI International.7 K.L. Ring, T. Kälin and M. Yoneyama, Chemical Economics Handbook 1,4-Butanediol (621.5000 A), March 2001, IHS Chemical.8 K.L. Ring, T. Kälin and K. Yokose, Chemical Eco-nomics Handbook 1,4-Butanediol (621.5000 A), June 2004, IHS Chemical.9 T. Kälin, S. Davis and K. Fujita, Chemical Econom-ics Handbook 1,4-Butanediol (621.5000 A), Septem-ber 2007, IHS Chemical.10 S. Davis, T. Kälin and T. Kumamoto, Chemical Economics Handbook 1,4-Butanediol (621.5000 A), October 2010, IHS Chemical.11 J. Wang,“ Asia BDO hits fi ve-year low; may fall further on oversupply“, 16 January 2015, ICIS news available at ICIS.com with subscription.12 China Report: Chemical Product Trends 1,4-Butanediol, January 2014, IHS Chemical.13 ICIS Plants and Projects information downloaded on 02 February 2015 (available at ICIS.com with subscription).14 http://www.standort-ludwigshafen.basf.de/group/corporate/site-ludwigshafen/en/news-and-media-relations/news-releases/P-13-36615 Dairen Chemical Company website: http://www.dcc.com.cn/english/HomeStyle.aspx?urlFile=company/company.htm16 Invista performance technology 2013 reference list for BDO licensees available at http://ipt.invista.com/Polyurethane-Value-Chain/BDO.17 S. Vaswani, Bio-based 1,4-Butanediol, Process Economics Program Report No. 283, August 2012, IHS Chemical.18 L.M. Elkin, 1,4-Butanediol from allyl alcohol, Process Economic Program Review No. 86-3-1, December 1987, SRI International. 19 L.M. Elkin and W. Nishimoto, Tetrahydrofuran and 1,4-butanediol from acetylene and formaldehyde, Process and Economic Program Review No. 83-3-1, July 1984, SRI International.20 Y. Kosaka and L.M. Elkin, 1,4-Butanediol and tet-rahydrofuran from butadiene, Process and Economic Program Review No. 82-2-2, January 1983, SRI International.21 R. Caruso and V. Chong, 1,4-Butanediol from n-butane via maleic acid hydrogenation, Process and Economic Program Review No. 95-1-4R, February 1998, SRI International. 22 E.R. Moore, 1,4-Butanediol from maleic anhydride via dimethylmaleate, Process and Economic Program Review No. 94-1-1, April 1995, SRI International.23 F. Gardner Low, GB1242358 awarded to E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company in 1970.

24 J.R. Budge, T.G. Attig and A.M. Graham, US5196502 awarded to The Standard Oil Company in 1993.25 R.P. Hepfer, C.T. Miller, G.A. Norenberg, T.G. Attig and J.R. Budge, US 6989455 awarded to ISP investments incorporated in 2006.26 A. Bhattacharyya and M.D. Manila, US7935834 awarded to ISP investments incorporated in 2011.27 Maleic Anhydride, IHS Chemical China Report, 201228 E.O. Camara Greiner,“Maleic Anhydride“, CEH Marketing Research Report (672.5000 A), 2011.29 Maleic Anhydride 99/00-05, Chem Systems, May 2000.30 http://www.davyprotech.com/what-we-do/licensed-processes-and-core-technologies/licensed-processes/butanediol-thf-gbl/specifi cation/31 H. Gra� e, W. Kornig, H.-M. Weitz, W. Reiß, G. Steff an, H. Diehl, H. Bosche, K. Schneider, H. Kiec-zka, in: W. Gerhartz, Y.S. Yamamoto, F.T. Campbell, R. Pfeff erkorn, J.F. Roundsaville (Eds.), Ullmann’s Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, VCH Ver-lagsgesellscha� , Weinheim, DE, A4455(2005).32 W. Reppe: Chemie und Technik der Acetylen-Druckreaktionen, 2nd ed., Verlag Chemie, Weinheim 1952.33 C. J. S. Appleyard, J. F. C. Gortshore: Manufacture of Butynediol at IG Ludwigshafen, Bios-Report 367, OTS-Report PB 28556, US Department of Com-merce. 34 D. L. Fuller, A.O. Zors, H. M. Weir: The Manu-facture of Butynediol from Acetylene and Formal-dehyde, Fiat-Report no. 296, 1946, OTS-Report PB 80334 US Department of Commerce.35 W. Reppe, A. Steinhofer, H. Spaenig and K. Lock-er, US2300969 awarded to General Aniline and Film Corporation in 1942.36 T. Haas, B. Jaeger, R. Weber, S.F. Mitchell and C.F. King, Applied Catalysis A: General 280 (2005) 83–88.37 GB1455761 awarded to BASF in 197638 E.V. Hort, US3920759 awarded to GAF corpora-tion in 1975.39 J.L. Prater and R.L. Hedworth, US4117248 award-ed to GAF Corporation in 1978.40 E.V. Hort, US4119790 awarded to GAF corpora-tion in 1978.41 J.R. Kirchner, US3650985 awarded to E. I. du Pont de Nemours and company in 1972.42 J.M. Fremont, DE2508084 C2 E. I. du Pont de Nemours and company in 1984.43 J.M. Fremont, US4110249 awarded to E. I. du Pont de Nemours and company in 1978.44 J.M. Fremont, US4127734 awarded to E. I. du Pont de Nemours and company in 1978.45 J.M. Fremont, US4143231 awarded to E. I. du Pont de Nemours and company in 1979.46 F.E. Wetherill, US3449445 awarded to GAF corporation in 1969.47 H. Toussaint, J. Schossig, H, Grae� e, W. Reiss, R. Spahl, M. Irgang, W. Himmel and G. Koppenhoefer, US5037793 awarded to BASF Aktiengesellscha� in 1991.48 T. Ikram,“ Germany’s BASF to expand US BDO capacity by 10 %“,21 January 2015. ICIS news avail-able on the ICIS website with subscription.49 S. Davis, L. Shao and Y. Yamaguchi, Chemical Economics Handbook Acetylene (430.0000), Janu-ary 2014, IHS Chemical.

50 J. Plotkin,“ China invents and reinvents coal to chemicals“ ICIS Chemical Business, 16 April 2012, available at: http://www.icis.com/resources/news/2012/04/16/9549986/china-invents-and-reinvents-coal-to-chemicals/51 A. Campoy and S. Oster,“ Coal-to-Chemicals Proj-ects Boom in China“, 31 December 2007, Wall Street Journal web site available at: http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB11990607191465845752 S. Davis,“Butadiene“, CEH Marketing Research Report (444.0000 A), July 2012. IHS Chemical.53 Q. Koh,“Japan’s Mitsubishi Chemical to shut BDO line on 20 September“, 20 September 2011, ICIS news available at ICIS.com with subscription.54 W. Lemos,“ Light feeds, cracker shutdowns to impact Europe BD supply – consultant“, 11 March 2015, ICIS news available at ICIS.com with subscrip-tion.55 Developments in Propylene Oxide Technology, Report 00/01S12, November 2001, Nexant, Inc./Chem Systems.56 S. Wang, Propylene oxide, Process Economics Pro-gram, Report 2 H, September 2003, SRI International57 M. Devanney ad C. Funada, Propylene oxide, CEH Marketing Research, Report 690.8000 A, December 2012, IHS.58 LondellBasell website: http://www.lyondellbasell.com/Products/ByMarket/PaintsAndCoatings/WaterBasedCoatings/MPDiol %C2 %AE+Glycol+ %282-methyl-1-3-pro-panediol %29/59 Dairen Chemical Company website: http://www.dcc.com.cn/english/HomeStyle.aspx?urlFile=fl owchart/fl owchart_02.htm60 S.C. Chen, F.S. Lin, Y.L. Jong and P.F. Yang, US6303536 awarded to the Dairen Chemical Com-pany in 2001.61 Dairen Chemical Company website: http://www.dcc.com.cn/english/HomeStyle.aspx?urlFile=product/Products_08.htm62 S.C. Chen, C.C. Chu, F.S. Lin and J.Y. Chou, US5426250 awarded to the Dairen Chemical Com-pany in 1995.63 Dairen Chemical Company website: http://www.dcc.com.cn/english/HomeStyle.aspx?urlFile=product/Products_10.htm64 Dairen Chemical Company website: http://www.dcc.com.cn/english/HomeStyle.aspx?urlFile=product/Products_11.htm65 T.R. Felthouse, J.C. Burnett, S.F. Mitchell, M.J. Mummey, in: J.I. Kroschwitz, M. Howe-Grant (Eds.), Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, vol. 15, 4th ed. Wiley, 1995, p. 893.66 S. Davis, Chemical Economics Handbook Benzene (452.0000 A), October 2011, IHS Chemical.67 E. Ormonde and M. Yoneyama,“ Chemical Eco-nomics Handbook Butanes (380.0000 A), May 2012, IHS Chemical.68 C. Schilling,“ Market outlook: Biotechnology for strategic leverage“, 6 February 2015, ICB available at ICIS.com with subscription.69 T. Brown,“ BASF produces its fi rst commercial-scale bio-butanediol“, 27 November 2013, ICIS news available at ICIS.com with subscription.70 China’s BDO Manufacturers Update, PU World 05 December 2012. Available at: http://en.puworld.com/html/20121205/394658024.html71 Z. Zhou,“ China’s Nanjing Bluestar shuts BDO, MA units on weak demand“ 23 November 2012, ICIS news available at ICIS.com with subscription.


NEWS 15

Evonik Industries AG, Essen (Germany) announces the successful completion of the acquisition of Monarch Catalyst Pvt. Ltd., Dombivli (India) on June 5th, 2015. An agreement to acquire Monarch Cata-lyst had been announced in March 2015, subject to certain closing conditions. The company employs approximately 300 employees and will be renamed to Evonik Catalysts India Pvt. Ltd. All of Evonik’s future catalyst activities in India will be operated through the newly acquired company. The parties have agreed to keep the purchase price confi dential.

Evonik with its Business Line Catalysts is a global leader in producing specialty catalysts, custom catalysts and catalysts components for the Life Sciences & Fine Chemicals, Industrial & Petrochemi-cal and Polyolefins market segments. Monarch’s global activities in oils & fats hydrogenation catalysts range is a broadening of the Evonik catalysts port-

folio. The activated base metal catalysts and precious metal catalysts portfolio strengthens Evonik’s positions in India and the Asia region. Monarch’s existing customer base will continue to be served through the established sales channels.

Patrik Wohlhauser, Chief Operating Offi cer and member of Evonik’s Execu-tive Board sees this acquisition as an excellent opportunity to strengthen the catalysts business in the growth region Asia. “The Catalysts Business Line belongs to the core businesses in Evonik’s Resource Effi ciency Segment. With this acquisition we complement our compe-tencies in innovation for products and technologies to make our customers’ pro-cesses and products more effi cient,” com-ments Wohlhauser. “The timing of the acquisition fi ts also well with the changes in India, where the political leaders have put economic growth again on the top of the agenda to leverage the great growth

potential the sub-continent of India has,” says Wohlhauser.

“With Monarch’s business in oils & fats hydrogenation catalysts we are one of the globally leading suppliers in this growing market segment,” says Dr Wilfried Eul. Head of Evonik’s Catalysts Business Line.“ With the new production site in the vicinity of Mumbai we will be in an even better position to serve our customers in the Life Sciences & Fine Chemicals Market Segment in India and the growth region Asia”, explains Eul. ■

In Jilin (China), the newly opened plant for hydrogen peroxide is operating at full stretch. It is part of an integrated project of Evonik and Chinese company Jishen Chemical Industry, which produces pro-pylene oxide using the hydrogen perox-ide to propylene oxide (HPPO) process.

Evonik not only supplies hydrogen peroxide to Jishen, it also produces the catalyst required for the process. The raw material for the catalyst – a pyro-genic mixed oxide – is produced at the Evonik site in Rheinfelden (Germany).

Scientists from Evonik developed the catalyst, which is based on the zeolite titanium silicalite 1 (TS-1), several years ago especially for the HPPO process. It was fi rst used in the HPPO plant in Ulsan (Korea), where the specialty chemicals company has produced hydrogen perox-ide since 2008 – also within the scope of an integrated system.

The catalyst was further developed in a cross-unit project in order to supply Jishen’s HPPO plant with an improved

product. Continuous further devel-opment like this does more than just contribute towards expanding Evonik’s market position, it also forms the foun-dation for the success of the HPPO tech-nology by continuously tuning the com-

bination of the process and the catalyst. A completely new generation of catalyst is to be developed as part of a follow-up project aimed at enhancing the catalyst further. ■

Evonik successfully completes the acquisition of Monarch Catalyst in India

New HPPO catalyst operating successfully in China

The new hydrogen peroxide plant in Jilin is part of a joint project between Evonik and Jishen


The information provided here is, to the best of our knowledge, correct and up to date. They are, however, not binding. They are subject to changes within the scope of technological progress and opera-tional advancement. Our information only describes the characteristics of our prod-ucts and services and do not constitute any guarantee. The customer is not released from their responsibility to have the func-tions and/or possible applications of the products thoroughly checked by qualifi ed personnel. This also applies to the protec-tion of third party property rights. The incation of trade names of other companies does not constitute a recommendation and does not exclude the use of other similar products.

We would be happy to send Catalysts Insight to anyone you know.

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Page 6+7: Pictures “Catalyst tuning: Expertise replaces empiricism”Source: R. Ramachandran, B. Glasser, Rutgers the State University of New JerseySource: Axel Mescher (Process Enginneering, Drying Technology) and Peter Walzel (Technical University of Dortmund, Germany)

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Please send us the postcard or contact us directly:Evonik Industries AGDr Andreas FreundHead of Marketing and Business DevelopmentPostcode 97-317Rodenbacher Chaussee 463457 Hanau-Wolfgang +49 6181 [email protected]

Trade show appearances, conferences and events

Trade show appearance,conference, name of event Date Where

PEPP 2015: 23rd Annual Polyethylene-Polypropylene Chain Global Technology and Business Forum

June 2 – 4 Zurich, Switzerland

12th annual Global Petrochemicals Conference

June 9 – 11 Dusseldorf, Germany

North American Meeting (NAM) 2015

June 14 – 19 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Chemspec Europe June 24 – 25 Cologne, Germany

CPhI China June 24 – 26 Shanghai, China

The 3rd International Symposium on Process Chemistry

July 13 – 15 Kyoto, Japan

EuropaCAT 12 August 30 – September 4 Kazan, Russia

The 4th Annual Event for Agro, Specialty, and Custom Chemicals

September 9 – 11 Charleston, South Carolina, USA

ChemOutsourcing 2015 Conference & Exhibition

September 14 – 17 Long Branch, New Jersey, USA

Advances in Polyolefins 2015 September 21 – 24 Santa Rosa, California, USA

DGMK International Conference October 7 – 9 Dresden, Germany

CPhI Worldwide 2015 October 13 – 15 Madrid, Spain

CPhI India December 1 – 3 Mumbai, India

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