Chinese petrochemical company, Yantai Wanhua Polyurethane has chosen Honeywell’s wholly owned subsidiary, UOP to supply its UOP C3 Oleflex process technology, absorbents and catalysts for the production of propylene at its manufacturing facility located in Yantai, China.
Apart from this, UOP will also provide support in terms of engineering, design, equipment, training to staff and technical service for the project, which is expected to commence by 2013.
The C3 Oleflex process converts propane to propylene through catalytic dehydrogenation. The dehydrogenation is achieved through the UOP DeH-16 catalyst, which is based on platinum. Yantai Wanhua’s facility will produce 750,000 t of propylene in a year using this technology thus achieving low capital and operational costs and at the same time benefiting from high propylene production levels and operating flexibility.
UOP will also provide its UOP Butamer process technology, which also uses UOP catalysts for converting butane into isobutene. Through this technology Yantai Wanhua’s facility will reach production levels of 565,000 t/year. UOP developed C3 Oleflex technology in 1990 and has already installed nine propylene production units. Its 10th unit is expected to commence by 2012 in Russia with three more projects in China and one in Abu Dhabi. Yantai Wanhua has two plants located in Yantai and has subsidiaries situated in India, Dubai, Europe, Hong Kong, Japan and US.