UOP Provides Cumene/Phenol Units to PKN Orlen

Honeywell is licensing its UOP Q-Max and phenol 3G technologies to Poland’s PKN Orlen for a of 200,000 t/y phenol plant at Plock. Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed , and a start-up date was not given.

UOP is providing a technology license along with basic engineering design services as well as key equipment, catalysts and adsorbents, and technical services. As part of the project, UOP will provide cumene and phenol units with alpha methyl styrene hydrogenation.

“These technologies make it possible for PKN Orlen to extend its benzene production into phenol and acetone derivatives,” said Bryan Glover, vice president and general manager of Honeywell UOP’s Petrochemicals & Refining Technologies business. “By doing so, PKN Orlen would be in a position to meet the growing demand for phenol and other petrochemicals in Poland and even become a net exporter of those products.”

UOP’s Q-Max process converts benzene and propylene into high-quality cumene while the 3G phenol unit converts cumene into phenol with high yields and product quality. Phenol is used to make plastics and related products, including bisphenol-A, the feedstock for polycarbonate, and phenolic resins, which are used to make durable laminated boards and industrial adhesives.