ODH Catalyst
Clariant Catalyts (Munich; www.clariant.com) has teamed up with Linde Engineering (Pullach im Isartal, both Germany; www.linde-engineering.com) to develop new catalysts for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane (ODH-E), a low-emissions catalytic technology for the production of ethylene. The new catalyst is said to be a step change in selectivity and productivity, now making ethylene production via ODH-E commercially feasible.
Clariant’s ODH catalysts are available exclusively for Linde Engineering’s EDHOX catalytic on-purpose ethylene technology. In contrast to conventional steam cracking, which operates at process temperatures up to 900°C, EDHOX operates at moderate temperatures (below 400°C), enabling comparatively low CO2 emissions.
The new catalysts by Clariant are the first to offer high selectivity for ethylene and acetic acid (up to 93%) for ODH-E, while also demonstrating outstanding productivity at such conditions, minimizing the formation of byproducts.
“By working with Clariant Catalysts, a more sustainable, alternative path to ethylene is not only a vision, but also becoming a reality,” says Reinhart Vogel, vice president Petrochemical Plants at Linde Engineering. “EDHOX technology has now been successfully validated in a full-scale demonstration plant for commercial use.”