Modular reactor for gas-to-liquid conversion at Ineratec ’ s site in Spain
‣ billion tonnes / year – may be produced from recovered plastics by 2050 . Pyrolysis technologies are expected to account for 22 %, according to studies by McKinsey , with recycled monomers taking another 7 % and mechanical recycling 30 %. The VUCHT Institute , part of the Duslo Group in Slovakia , has developed a pyrolysis process that degrades plastic waste and converts it into a liquid oil at temperatures of over 300 ° C . This oil is then upgraded in a catalytic refining step to ‘ winter diesel ’, a special grade that remains operable even at very low temperatures like -30 ° C . The challenge was two-fold , Estenfelder said . The long-chain n-paraffins and other elements that tend to freeze at low temperatures need to be converted by isomerisation . At the same time , the cyclic molecules and other components favourable to winter diesel should not be touched . This is exactly what Hydex E does .
Power-to-X
Finally , also addressing climateneutrality and particularly in the
About Clariant Catalysts
Clariant Catalysts as a whole has 14 production sites on four continents and 30 locations in 16 countries , employing just over 2,000 people . In 2019 , it had sales of CHF 925 million and an EBITDA of CHF 212 million , up 7 % and 15 % respectively on 2018 . In chemical catalysts sales , Clariant Catalysts is the world number two behind BASF , with Johnson Matthey and Evonik also strong in the field ; it is also second in syngas catalysts and top in petrochemical catalysts . The company ’ s catalysts are used in the production of most major base chemicals and many speciality chemicals . These range from ethylene and ammonia , which are both produced at > 150 million tonnes / year , down to maleic and phthalic anhydride , 1,4-butanediol , aniline and acrylonitrile , which are all produced in volumes of < 6 million tonnes / year . context of the need to achieve the UN Climate Change Conference targets of carbon neutrality in all industries by 2050 and well below 2 ° C warming by 2100 , Clariant has developed catalysts for technologies collectively known as ‘ Power-to-X ’. These couple renewable power generation with transportation and chemical production , decarbonising all three . Thus , for instance , ‘ green ’ hydrogen from renewable energy via the electrolysis of water can be reacted with CO 2 or CO from industrial waste or with nitrogen , aided by catalytic conversion , to derive ammonia , methane , methanol or other valuable base chemicals . “ Power-to-X is a whole set of technologies developed with partners . Clariant Catalysts offers a whole range of catalysts to make it work ,” Estenfelder said . There have been several important projects over the past seven years :
• Power-to-gas plants , in partnership with Etogas and MAN , converting renewable power into hydrogen and synthetic natural gas , using Clariant ’ s FMC 100 catalyst , in 2013
• The Carbon2Chem project with ThyssenKrupp in 2016 ,
38 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981