CHEMICALS & PETROCHEMICALS
How recycling of bioplastics works . Source : https :// bioplasticseurope . eu / project .
need to develop alternatives , such as wasteto-energy projects . A related problem is a lack of infrastructure to process bio-based plastics . These need to be treated separately from traditional plastics to avoid contamination of the latter .
Circularity and recycling
This takes us into the realm of the circular economy , in which both recycling and wasteto-energy play a vital role . Petrochemical companies are developing a number of recycling projects . Prominent among these is Dow , which is building several facilities in the USA and Europe and has also expanded efforts into Africa , Nigeria , Egypt , and Guinea . ExxonMobil has also started up a facility in Irving , Texas , and recently completed a complex at Baytown , Texas .
Emissions reduction
There are obvious ways that companies can reduce their footprint with energy savings and environmentally friendly technology . For instance , BASF and MAN are collaborating to manufacture a large heat pump that will reduce natural gas consumption at the Ludwigshafen site . It will enable the production of steam using electricity from renewable energy . Much work is being carried out to produce more efficient catalysts , and additive manufacturing is playing a role . BASF ’ s X3DTM will 3D-print catalysts featuring an open structure that reduces the pressure drop across
the reactor and a high surface area , leading to higher performance . Carbon recycling is another promising area . Carbon capture and storage is an established procedure , but many technologies need to be further tested or commercialised . For instance , a team at the University of Oxford has reverse-engineered jet engine fuel from CO2 , by adding heat ( 350 ° Celsius ) to citric acid , hydrogen , and a catalyst made of iron , manganese , and potassium to the carbon dioxide . Meanwhile , the Icelandic firm Carbon Recycling International ( CRI ) has just started to produce methanol from CO2 and hydrogen . Mineral Carbonation International ( MCi ) is pioneering a technology that would “ lock away ” CO2 by turning it into building blocks .
Aggressive environment for valves
Chemical and petrochemical plants contain some of the most severe environments known in industry , making extreme demands on materials . Corrosion resistance ( especially pitting and crevice corrosion ) and extreme heat are the two main factors determining material choice . Mechanical strength , good fabricability and weight saving are also major considerations . Stainless steel is standard in valves , storage tanks , heat exchangers , pressure vessels and reactors , cryogenic applications , and tubes , pipes and fittings . Duplex and super duplex grades are often used when corrosion is severe and the temperatures do not require more heat-resistant nickel alloys . Sandvik has recently started to 3D-print components in Osprey ® 2507 super duplex stainless steel , a material that can be used in chemical processing . A super austenitic grade that could show promise in chemical and petrochemical plants is Sandvik ’ s Sanicro ® 35 , developed to bridge the gap between stainless steel and nickel alloys by achieving high performance , high strength , and superior corrosion resistance at a lower cost than nickel alloys .
Conclusion
Despite these advances , a great deal needs to be done if petrochemicals are to reduce their footprint . Only 9 % of the world ’ s plastic is recycled , and to increase this will require an ambitious mobilisation effort involving governments at both national and local levels , industry , and private citizens . Excessive or ill-thought-out packaging will have to be eliminated . Perhaps citizens should be asked to bring reusable food containers and bottles to refill with products sold in bulk ? At the same time , petrochemical companies should expect more of their profits be “ recycled ” to fund investment projects and clean-up efforts that mitigate the negative consequences of the expansion of their industry . In this respect , the prospect of a UN-sponsored treaty to end plastic pollution , to be signed in 2024 , is a welcome development .
18 Valve World February 2023 www . valve-world . net