TechnipFMC Joins Clariant on ACN Catalyst
Major construction and engineering group TechnipFMC has entered into a joint development agreement with Clariant Catalysts to commercialize the Swiss company’s new AcryloMax propylene ammoxidation catalyst to produce fiber intermediate acrylonitrile (ACN).
The deal combines TechnipFMC’s expertise in fluid bed technologies and process development with Clariant’s knowhow in developing and manufacturing catalysts for the petrochemical industry.
Technip Energies’ Research Center in Weymouth, Massachusetts, USA, will soon commission a large demonstration reactor to test the technology.
“For producers of acrylonitrile, this combination of catalyst and process technology know-how will open the door to exciting new opportunities,” said Stefan Heuser, senior vice president & general manager at Clariant Catalysts.
According to Clariant, AcryloMax allows more profitable and efficient production of ACN, as the route can deliver up to several percent yield gains compared with other catalysts on the market. Other benefits of the technology include high selectivity to ammonium nitrate and hydrogen cyanide at “excellent conversion rates under a number of different process conditions.”
The technology is also compatible with Sohio-type ACN plants. Sohio – Standard Oil of Ohio – developed an ACN propylene ammoxidation process based on a bismuth phosphomolybdate catalyst in the 1950s. Sohio eventually became part of BP, which sold the nitrile business to Ineos in 2005.
In separate news, Clariant is launching its next-generation phthalate-free olefin polymerization catalysts. Developed in partnership with McDermott’s Lummus Novolen technology, Clariant said the new PolyMax 600 series “answer the market’s increasing need for safer polypropylene solutions.”
“Performance is the key difference with our new PolyMax 600 series catalysts,” commented Stefan Heuser. “The innovative technology, which allows customers to achieve higher productivity rates and reduced process fluctuations, is delivering excellent results – with one major polypropylene producer now estimating economic benefits to exceed $8 million annually,” he said.
The Swiss group added that the improved performance comes from new proprietary technology that increases catalyst activity up to 25% compared with phthalate-based catalysts, resulting in not only higher plant productivity, but also superior polymer properties, such as increased impact strength for better durability.
PolyMax 600 catalysts are a drop-in replacement for phthalate-based polyolefin catalysts and are designed to suit a broad range of process requirements in applications ranging from food packaging to engineered automotive parts.
