[ Petrochemicals ]
[ Petrochemicals ]
or tension stresses, but sustained compression. Amongst others, the team concludes that‘ large stresses developed due to differences between thermal expansion coefficients of the tube alloy and the thick, stiff coke layer formed inside the tubes’.
Future trends Trying to predict the future of the steam cracking industry is a risky undertaking. Market research companies show such diverse ranges – some even predict a significant decline – that even calculating an average figure makes no sense. However, there are some trends and influences which seem likely to continue. For example, whilst naphtha has traditionally been the feedstock for steam crackers, many observers say that the shift to ethane will continue. Drivers include the relatively low cost and increased availability( ethane is a byproduct of shale gas extraction). Operating companies could also continue the move to vertical integration; by adding on downstream plants, the ethene and other products can be readily converted into‘ valueadded’ products such as polyethene or polypropene. At the same time, the industry is responding to pressure to reduce its environmental footprint, by lowering energy consumption and limiting greenhouse gas emissions. That latter point could entail deploying carbon capture and utilization, considering alternative burner technologies, and tweaking reactor geometries. Electrification of cracking furnaces is also seen as an important route to reduce carbon emissions from ethene cracking units, with research efforts ongoing worldwide. Efforts are also underway to raise the quantity of heat recovered from the cracked gas. That can be used to generate steam – a useful commodity to power other sections of the complete process, such as the turbines which drive compressors.
Steam cracking process on video
For an excellent overview of how a steam cracker works, please visit the ExxonMobil website: https:// www. exxonmobilchemical. com / en / resources / library / library-detail / 82068 / basic _ chemicals _ steam _ cracker _ en
Ethane, ethene, ethyne, ethylene, acetylene...???
From left to right: molecular models of ethane, ethene and ethyne. The black spheres represent carbon atoms; the white are hydrogen. Image: DreamsTime
To avoid confusion when naming new chemicals or referring to existing ones, scientists normally follow the systematic nomenclature developed by IUPAC, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. The molecules shown in the image above are- in line with IUPAC- termed ethane, ethene and ethyne. That said, many chemicals are still widely referred to by their common names, in both everyday and industrial circles. Hence two of the molecules in the picture are often called ethylene and acetylene, as set out in the table below.
Chemical formula IUPAC name Common name C2H6
Ethane C2H4 Ethene Ethylene C2H2 Ethyne Acetylene
End user initiatives In the port of Antwerp, Belgium, INEOS is working full steam(!) on Project ONE, said to be the largest investment in the European chemicals industry in a generation vii. Significantly, right from the outset INEOS has set about ensuring the entire project aligns with Europe’ s green initiatives. Hence the new ethene cracker – at the heart of the project – is to be equipped with the best available technologies providing the highest efficiency in the use of raw materials and energy. The new cracker will have carbon dioxide emissions that are less than half of the best performing similar factories in Europe. It has also been designed so that maximum use can be made of hydrogen as a fuel and with 100 % renewable energy. Meanwhile, in April 2024 BASF, SABIC and Linde inaugurated the world’ s first demonstration plant for large-scale, electrically heated steam cracking furnaces viii. Their goal is to use renewable energy as a way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by at least 90 % compared to technologies commonly used today. In the eFurnace demonstration plant, two heating concepts are being tested in parallel: direct heating, where the electric current is directly supplied to the process pipes inside the reactor, and indirect heating, using radiant heat from heating elements surrounding the pipes. The prototype is fully integrated into the steam crackers at the Ludwigshafen site and is unique in this scale( see main photo).
References i www. aoccorp. com / knowledge / managing- reliability-of-ethane-crackers-using-dmr-rbi- and-iows ii
Engineering Failure Analysis, December 2023 iii
Engineering Failure Analysis, March 2019 iv
Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol 57 / Issue 4 v
Engineering Failure Analysis, October 2023 vi
Engineering Failure Analysis, February 2015 vii https:// project-one. ineos. com / en / viii https:// www. basf. com / global / en / who-weare / change-for-climate / a-green-engine-forchemistry
48 Stainless Steel World June 2026 www. stainless-steel-world. net