Badger Licensing LLC (Boston, Mass.; www.badgerlicensing.com) announced that Zhejiang Petroleum & Chemical Co. (ZPC) has selected Badger’s proprietary technology for a grassroots ethylbenzene/styrene monomer (EB/SM) plant being built in Daxiaoyushan Island, Daishan District, Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China. The contract includes technology license, process design and start-up services.
The new plant, one of the largest EB/SM plants in the world, with a capacity of 1.2 million metric tons per year (m.t./yr), will utilize Badger’s proprietary EBMax technology integrated with Badger’s proprietary styrene technology. Basic engineering design work has begun and the plant is scheduled for mechanical completion and startup in 2018.
“With the implementation of this impressive project, ZPC has immediately made themselves into a major styrene producer, not only in China but in the world,” said Dana Johnson, president of Badger. “Badger’s unique capabilities and experience in scale-up and designing EB/SM plants of this size, in conjunction with the advantages that our innovative technologies offer, were instrumental in this award. We are proud that ZPC has selected Badger’s technologies and we look forward to working with them on this significant project to ensure the successful design, startup and operation of the plant.”
Styrene monomer, with a worldwide capacity of over 30 million metric tons per annum, is a precursor to the production of a variety of polymer derivatives, including polystyrene (PS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and styrene butadiene rubber (SBR). Badger’s EBMax and styrene technologies have been licensed more than 30 and 50 times, respectively, for plants around the world.
Badger Licensing LLC is a venture of affiliates of TechnipFMC and ExxonMobil. Badger Licensing is principally engaged in developing, marketing, and licensing technologies for ethylbenzene, styrene monomer, cumene and bisphenol A.