Honeywell (Morris Plains, N.J.; www.honeywell.com) announced that Houston-based Enterprise Products Operating LLC has chosen Honeywell UOP’s C4 Oleflex technology to produce 425,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr) of isobutylene, which is used to make high-octane fuel and high-performance synthetic rubbers and acrylics.
In addition to technology licensing, Honeywell UOP will provide the basic engineering design, control systems, catalysts and adsorbents for the plant, which is located in Mont Belvieu, Tex. Honeywell UOP also will provide a modular CCR (continuous catalyst regeneration) unit.
“High demand from automotive, industrial machinery and construction applications are expected to drive growth in lubricant production, and at the same time, demand for high-octane fuel is rising as auto manufacturers build more engines that meet higher fuel economy standards,” said Mike Millard, vice president and general manager of Honeywell UOP’s Process Technology and Equipment business. “Isobutylene produced by the Oleflex process is a great raw material for making products to meet these market needs.”
Honeywell UOP’s C4 Oleflex technology uses catalytic dehydrogenation to convert isobutane into isobutylene. The Honeywell UOP CCR section is a critical part of the Oleflex unit and will be delivered to Enterprise as modular equipment.
Enterprise Products Operating LLC provides midstream energy services to producers and consumers of natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), crude oil, petrochemicals, and refined products in the United States and internationally. It is a subsidiary of Enterprise Products Partners L.P.