Honeywell International, Inc. (Charlotte, N.C.) announced that Lotte GS Chemical Corp. (Seoul, South Korea) will use Honeywell UOP Q-Max, Phenol 3G, and Evonik MSHP technologies to produce more than 565,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr) of phenol and acetone at its petrochemicals facility in Yeosu, Korea.
UOP is providing a license for the technology, in addition to basic engineering design services, key equipment, catalysts and adsorbents and technical services.
As part of the project, UOP will provide a cumene unit and a phenol unit with alpha-methylstyrene (AMS) hydrogenation. The combined technologies will allow Lotte GS Chemical to produce phenol and acetone derivatives from benzene and polymer-grade propylene.
“Global demand for plastics and resins such as polystyrene, styrenic resin, polycarbonate and phenolic resin is driving the need for aromatic derivatives,” said Bryan Glover, vice president and general manager of Honeywell UOP’s Process Technologies business. “By increasing the production of phenol and acetone, Lotte raises its market position in high-margin petrochemicals and contributing to the global supply.”
Cumene is the primary building block for making phenol and its derivatives. UOP’s Q-Max process converts benzene and propylene into high-quality cumene at low benzene-to-propylene ratios using regenerable catalysts that maximize cumene yield, lower utility consumption and minimize capital requirements for downstream fractionation equipment.
The UOP Phenol 3G unit converts cumene into phenol and acetone with high yields and product quality, and low utility consumption. The phenol and acetone products are converted into plastics and other related materials, including bisphenol-A, a building block for polycarbonate plastics, and phenolic resins used to make durable laminated boards and industrial adhesives. The Evonik MSHP process hydrogenates alpha-methylstyrene (AMS) to cumene to be recycled back to oxidation.