Improved propane dehydrogenation

BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany; www.basf.com) and thyssenkrupp Uhde GmbH (Dortmund, Germany; www.thyssenkrupp-industrial-solutions.com) achieved measurable improvements in the STAR process, a proprietary dehydrogenation process from thyssenkrupp Uhde that can produce propylene from propane feedstocks, or iso-butylene from iso-butane feedstocks. Beginning in 2020, thyssenkrupp Uhde focused on the optimization and further development of the STAR process, while BASF validated the targeted improvements through an extended test program. The technology has been optimized to reduce CO2 emissions and operating costs through lower energy consumption by up to 30%, while also reducing investment costs and enabling additional feedstock savings. ThyssenKrupp Uhde acquired the STAR process and STAR catalyst technology from Phillips Petroleum Co. in 1999. The company subsequently enhanced the process by adding an oxydehydrogenation section downstream from the conventional reactor. The STAR catalyst is based on a zinc and calcium aluminate support that, impregnated with various metals, has excellent dehydrogenation properties with high selectivity at near equilibrium conversion and is versatile in its application. The STAR process (Chem. Eng., January…