Clariant targets improved chemical catalysts

Joseph Chang

28-Jul-2017

Switzerland-based specialty chemicals company Clariant is developing “optimised, improved versions” of catalysts to produce olefins, methanol and ammonia, said the head of its catalysts research and development (R&D) department.

“There are several programs on the way to develop new solutions based on feedstock availability,” said Marvin Estenfelder, head of R&D at Clariant’s Catalysis business area.

These feedstocks range from natural gas liquids (NGLs) to coal to biomass, he added.

Estenfelder

PROPYLENE IN FOCUS

Among the programmes Clariant has commercialised is a next generation catalyst for methanol-to-propylene (MTP). Its current zeolite-based catalyst has been around for more than 10 years.

The company also produces catalysts for propane dehydrogenation (PDH), another route for on-purpose propylene that has gained in popularity in the past several years.

In 2011, Clariant announced selectivity improvements of up to 2% in its Catofin line of catalysts which are used in the PDH process, as well as to produce isobutylenes.

In February 2017, Clariant announced it had been awarded a contract by China-based Dongguan Grand Resource Science & Technology to develop a new PDH unit in Dongguan City, China in cooperation with US-based engineering firm CB&I which has worldwide licensing rights for the Catofin technology.

The plant will be based on Catofin catalytic dehydrogenation technology, which uses Clariant’s Catofin catalyst, and its Heat Generating Material (HGM) which boosts olefin selectivity and yield by several percent, reduces energy consumption and reduces emissions, according to Clariant.

Propylene capacity of the China PDH 
unit will be 600,000 tonnes/year, according to CB&I.

CHINA CTO EVOLVING

Clariant also offers catalysts for coal-to-olefins (CTO) production, a process used in China to convert its stranded coal assets into higher value chemicals and plastics. However, the pace of China CTO projects have slowed markedly on a greater focus on the environment and emissions in particular.

“The basic technology is there and proven. It’s a matter of constant optimisation. Over time, the plants will become more efficient and less polluting,” said Estenfelder.

“Catalysts can help address the root cause, providing more effective processes to avoid offgases and the burning of raw material. After the plant is live, they can also reduce the environmental impact by treating the offgases,” he added.

Clariant R&D

DRIVEN BY R&D

Clariant’s catalyst business is highly R&D driven, with the segment’s R&D spending/sales percentage more than double the 3.5% for the company overall, he said.

In 2016, Clariant’s Catalysis business area generated sales of Swiss francs (Swfr) 673m ($708m) out of total sales of Swfr 5.85bn.

“A good part of the innovation process is to develop new generations of optimised catalysts,” he added.

Another potential area of growth for the catalysts business is tapping into adjacent markets with its hydrogenation and oxidation catalysts for the production of intermediates and specialty chemicals, noted Estenfelder.

Plus, he sees demand for its custom catalysts business where Clariant helps customers develop catalysts, with customers then using Clariant’s production capabilities.

NEW OFFICE IN CHINA

Clariant has opened a new office in Yinchuan for its catalyst business in China, the company announced on 18 July. The office in Yinchuan, which is the capital of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region, is Clariant’s fifth branch in the country.

“With the new branch, Clariant becomes the first multinational catalyst provider based in northwest China, a region that is home to a majority of the nation’s coal-to-chemicals producers as well as numerous syngas and polyolefin companies,” it said.

Clariant has two catalyst production facilities in China – one in the Jinshan district of Shanghai and the other, in Panjin city of Liaoning province. It also has a R&D team in China and is present in Beijing where it offers engineering services and sales assistance to customers in Asia.

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