Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Ethylene Production Based On Steam Cracking:

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Knowledge of Petrochemical units:

Ethylene Production Based On Steam Cracking:

Ethylene production is primarily achieved through steam cracking, where hydrocarbons like ethane, propane, or naphtha are heated to high temperatures (around 800-900°C) in the presence of steam. This process breaks down large hydrocarbon molecules into smaller ones, with ethylene being a major product. The cracked gases are then rapidly cooled to stop the reactions, and the mixture is sent through a series of separation and purification steps to isolate ethylene. Ethylene is a key building block in the petrochemical industry, used to produce various plastics, chemicals, and synthetic materials.

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Process Flow Diagram Overview:

Using the basic flow sheet in the appendix:

Feed Furnace: The hydrocarbon feedstock (e.g., ethane or naphtha) is preheated in the feed furnace to around 400°C.

Cracking Furnace: The preheated feed is further heated to about 800°C in the cracking furnace, where thermal cracking occurs. This high temperature breaks down the hydrocarbons into smaller molecules like ethylene, propylene, and other by-products.

Quenching: The cracked gas is rapidly cooled in a quenching system to stop further reactions. This is typically done using water or oil quenching.

Caustic Wash: The cooled gas undergoes a caustic wash to remove acidic impurities like hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide.

Drier: The gas is then dried to remove any remaining moisture.

Cold Box: The dried gas is cooled further in a cold box to condense and separate the lighter hydrocarbons.

Demethaniser: The gas enters the demethaniser, where methane is separated from the mixture.

De-ethaniser: The remaining gas is sent to the de-ethaniser, where ethylene and ethane are separated from heavier hydrocarbons.

Ethane Product Compressor: Ethane is compressed and recycled back to the cracking furnace.

Secondary Demethaniser: Further separation of methane from the gas mixture.

Ethane Depropaniser: Separation of propane from the ethane-ethylene mixture.

C2 to C4 Splitter: Separation of ethylene (C2) from other hydrocarbons like butanes (C4).

MAPD Converter: Conversion of methyl acetylene and propadiene (MAPD) impurities to ethylene and propylene.

Final Purification: The purified ethylene is then compressed and stored or sent for further processing.

source:Saeed rooeentan

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Evonik unveils flame retardant PA12 and carbon black embedded 3D-printable powders

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Evonik is unveiling its latest innovations in PA12 polymer applications for 3D printing at Formnext 2024, the highlight exposition and convention for the world’s additive manufacturing community.

Most notably on display will be the company’s PA12 based INFINAM® 6013 P and INFINAM® 6014 P 3D-printable powders, which through a feat of engineering, possess a relatively substantial amount of carbon black in the core of each particle.

Produced through the precipitation process, these carbon black powders are specially designed for powder bed fusion techniques like SLS (Selective Laser Sintering), and offer high flowability and homogenous sintering. Additionally, the high core-shell carbon black content allows for true pigmentation uniformity, minimizes visibility of surface abrasion and wear, as well as provides elevated resistance to ultraviolet rays and greater isotropic performance.

“These properties make our carbon black powder an ideal material for producing 3D-printed items destined for use outdoors – especially in applications that need to withstand an elevated exposure to heat and light, such as those found in the aerospace and automotive industry,” says Arnim Kraatz, director of Powder Bed Fusion at Evonik.

To better serve the needs of this specialized customer base, the carbon black embedded INFINAM® 6013 P and INFINAM® 6014 P powders will be available for direct purchase from Evonik.

Also featured at Formnext will be the product launch of HP 3D HR PA12 FR, a robust, PA12-based 3D-printable polymer. Developed jointly by Evonik and well-known additive manufacturing technology powerhouse, HP Inc., the innovative powder is halogen-free, flame retardant, and remarkably features 50% reusability.

“We are very excited to be introducing the new HP 3D PA12 FR, a halogen-free flame-retardant polymer enabled by Evonik. Our long-term partnership is key to developing innovative solutions to continue growing the industry. This innovative material, which is 50% reusable, enables cost-effective production of high-quality parts and is poised to be a breakthrough in 3D printing, paving the way for scalable applications in consumer electronics,” says François Minec, VP and Global Head of 3D Polymers at HP Inc.

“We are proud of the fruits of this successful partnership with HP Inc., as it is the latest application of an encapsulation technique enabled by Evonik’s specially pioneered precipitation method,” says Dominic Stoerkle, head of Evonik’s High Performance Polymers’ Long Chain Polyamides product line. “Partnerships like these help Evonik continue to develop innovative technology that put customers at the center of our business.”

source:Evonik

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : BIOBASED LEATHER ALTERNATIVE, SHORAI

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

BIXBY INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS WITH RHEOM MATERIALS TO SCALE PRODUCTION OF BIOBASED LEATHER ALTERNATIVE, SHORAI

Rheom Materials, a next-gen materials startup, is proud to announce a strategic partnership with Bixby International, an established thermoplastic extrusion and lamination company. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in Rheom Material’s journey towards commercial-scale production of its novel biobased material, Shorai™.

Shorai, Rheom Materials’ flagship product, is a biobased leather alternative designed to meet the growing demand for sustainable materials. Shorai combines the performance of traditional leather with sustainability, offering scalable production at a competitive price point, all while reducing carbon footprint. Extruded as a continuous sheet and having more than 92% biobased content, Shorai achieves an 80% reduction in carbon footprint compared to synthetic leather. The partnership with Bixby International will enable Rheom Materials to meet customer demand more effectively, providing innovative, eco-friendly materials to a broader market.

Bixby International is globally renowned for delivering innovative and precise thermoplastic extrusion product development in spec and on time. With 150 years of experience and an ISO 9001:2015 Certified Quality Management System, their state-of-the-art equipment makes Bixby the ideal partner for Rheom Materials. As part of the agreement, Bixby International is taking a minority ownership stake in Rheom Materials, reinforcing both parties’ long-term commitment to sustainability and innovation.

“Solving for both lower CO2 emissions as well as end-of-life issues in the world of plastics has long been something that we at Bixby believe needs to be addressed by our industry.”, said Dennis Lauzon, Chief Revenue Officer at Bixby International. “We are very eager to participate alongside Rheom with the introduction of these novel biobased compounds.”

“Partnering with Bixby International enables us to harness their extensive expertise in the extrusion industry and its entire supply chain, facilitating the successful scale-up of Shorai production”, said Carolina Amin Ferril, Chief Technology Officer at Rheom Materials. “Their highly competitive and adaptable capabilities will allow us to offer more solutions and exceed our customers’ expectations.”

This new partnership offers Rheom Materials an expansive toolkit. This month, they began their first pilot-scale trial at the Bixby International facilities, with plans to produce Shorai for prototype samples. Rheom Materials is working towards achieving a production scale continuous roll of biobased Shorai in the near future. Along with larger sheet production, Bixby enables various texture applications that enhance the haptics of Shorai. Lastly, the Bixby production lines will allow for laminated multilayer sheets, offering further customization for a variety of applications.

source:Rheom Materials

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE)

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Understanding Shrinkage in Injection Molding: The Role of the Packing Phase

In injection molding, shrinkage is fundamentally linked to thermal expansion.

However, this relationship can become complex, especially when we factor in the "Packing Phase."

During this phase, we apply significant pressure to the molten material, allowing us to inject more grams of material into a predefined mold volume, assuming we disregard mold deformation for now.

As a result, the final shrinkage can vary widely—ranging from high shrinkage, dictated by the room pressure PvT curve (in cases where no packing is applied), to even negative shrinkage in situations of overpacking.

While the basic principles of shrinkage are driven by Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE), the reality is much more nuanced.

For instance, with glass-filled polymers, increased packing pressure can influence the anisotropy-driven warpage of the material; it may even suppress warpage without affecting the CTE anisotropy itself.

source:Vito leo

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : POM vs Other Plastics

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Comparative Analysis of POM with Other Plastics:

Some of the key advantages and limitations of POM compared to other plastics are highlighted below:

POM vs Nylon

POM has lower moisture absorption and better dimensional stability than nylon

It has higher tensile strength, hardness and modulus than nylon

Nylon offers higher toughness, ductility and impact strength compared to POM

Nylon has better chemical resistance than POM, especially to bases, oils and greases

POM provides lower coefficient of friction than nylon

POM vs Polycarbonate

POM has much higher strength, hardness and stiffness than polycarbonate

PC offers very high impact resistance compared to brittle

POMPolycarbonate has superior temperature resistance up to 140°C vs 90°C for POM

POM has lower moisture absorption and better dimensional stability

PC has higher ductility and fracture toughness compared to POM

POM vs Polyimide

Polyimide can withstand much higher temperatures than POM

It has excellent strength retention at high temperatures vs POM

POM offers better impact strength and machinability

Polyimide has superior wear resistance and chemical resistance

POM has lower density and moisture absorption compared to polyimide

source:beeplastic.com

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Mass Production Technology to Build Supply Structure for Non-Edible Biomass-Derived Nylon

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Toray and PTT Global Chemical Agree to Explore Mass Production Technology to Build Supply Structure for Non-Edible Biomass-Derived Nylon

Toray Industries, Inc., announced today that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with major Thai petrochemicals producer PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited (GC) to explore mass production technology for adipic acid made from non-edible biomass*1.

Toray and GC will jointly evaluate the feasibility of mass production technology and commercialization in Thailand and Japan. If business is determined viable, they aim to commercially manufacture several thousand metric tons of bio-based muconic and bio-based adipic acid annually by 2030.

Last year, both companies began jointly developing technology to produce these raw materials for nylon-6,6 from non-edible biomass-derived sugars made at Cellulosic Biomass Technology Co., Ltd., a Thai company in which Toray has an 84% stake.

GC employs its proprietary fermentation technology to quickly convert non-edible sugars into high yields of muconic acid. Toray uses its hydrogenation process to produce high yields of high-purity bio-adipic acid from muconic acid. The resulting bio-based adipic acid can serve as a raw material for nylon-6,6 for resins and fibers similar to the petroleum-derived nylon-6,6. On top of that, the manufacturing process does not generate nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas by-product typically associated with chemical synthesis-based processes.

Toray and GC will build a supply chain to manufacture tens of thousands of metric tons of bio-based adipic acid from agricultural waste in Thailand, which is rich in natural resources. They will use this acid to make eco-friendly nylon-6,6, assisting efforts to create a circular economy and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry selected this study for its fiscal 2023 supplementary subsidy for the Global South Future-oriented Co-creation Project (Survey on the Promotion of Overseas Development of Infrastructure by Japanese Companies).

Toray is engaging in R&D, such as to develop technologies to switch to biomass-derived materials. It seeks to reach a 20% recycling rate for raw materials it uses in its core polymer offerings by 2030 and thereby help materialize a sustainable, circular economy in keeping with its commitment to delivering new value and contributing to social progress.

source:Toray

SABIC OPENS MULTI- MILLION-DOLLAR ULTEM™ RESIN MANUFACTURING FACILITY IN SINGAPORE

SABIC, a global diversified chemicals company, today announced the official launch of its new US$170 (S$220) million ULTEM™ resin manufacturing facility in Singapore, marking the company’s first advanced specialty chemical manufacturing facility in the region producing the high-performance thermoplastic, ULTEM™ resin.

The new facility is a strategic move to support SABIC’s goal of increasing global ULTEM™ specialty resin production by more than 50%, responding to the growing demand from high-tech and manufacturing industries in the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan and China.

The facility opening was officiated by Ms. Low Yen Ling, Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), Eng. Khalid H. Al-Dabbagh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SABIC, Eng. Abdulrahman Al-Fageeh, SABIC Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Omar Al-Harthi, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Singapore.

Supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), the new Singapore facility reinforces SABIC’s commitment to localize a reliable supply of high performance materials that support complex and demanding supply chain requirements.

Ms. Low Yen Ling, Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) said, “The opening of SABIC’s new facility underscores Singapore’s role as a gateway to Asia and a leading hub for the chemicals industry.”

Eng. Abdulrahman Al-Fageeh, CEO, SABIC said, “We’re excited to leverage SABIC’s advanced manufacturing capabilities to produce one of the world’s most advanced plastics in Singapore. The ULTEM resin facility reflects our long-term commitment to the region’s high-tech economies and advanced manufacturing sectors, supporting the growth of advanced applications. Singapore’s widely networked trade agreements also provides us with competitive access to markets in the region.”

Lim Wey Len, Executive Vice President, Singapore Economic Development Board said, “The opening of SABIC’s new ULTEM plant reflects its confidence in Singapore as a hub to capture the growing demand for high-performance specialty chemicals in Asia. We look forward to how the new plant’s advanced manufacturing capabilities will boost our chemicals sector to meet customers’ needs in growth areas such as mobility and electronics. We continue to welcome like-minded partners like SABIC to invest in our talent and capabilities here in Singapore, to create cutting edge material solutions for the world.”

SABIC’S ROLE IN SINGAPORE

source:SABIC