Clariant's CATOFIN® Technology drives world's largest propane dehydrogenation unit
- New 600 kta Propane Dehydrogenation (PDH) unit on-stream in November 2013
- New unit exceeded nameplate capacity in the first month of operation
- First PDH unit operating in China
Muttenz, January 16, 2014 - Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, announces that the largest PDH unit has begun production in Tianjin, China, using CATOFIN® technology. This 600 kta unit is also the first PDH unit in China. It uses the CATOFIN process and catalyst, a technology that is licensed through CB&I.
The Bohua unit exceeded nameplate capacity in the first month of operation, illustrating the stability and ease of operation that is characteristic of CATOFIN units worldwide.
Clariant recently completed a capacity expansion for these high performance catalysts at its site in Louisville/Kentucky, USA. Demand for CATOFIN catalysts has grown rapidly in recent years as shale gas growth has created increased demand for on-purpose propylene production. In China, high demand for polypropylene and other propylene derivatives has boosted PDH interest. Several new CATOFIN production units will begin production in China in the next 12-18 months.
CATOFIN technology and catalysts correspond to a reliable and less complex production process for on-purpose olefins/butadiene production with efficient energy consumption. New generations of catalysts with significant performance improvement have been commercialized successfully in the last few years. CATOFIN technology has been selected by 34 licensees worldwide and is in operation in 12 units today.
