A Technological Milestone for Evonik

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Evonik Industries AG

Evonik’s solutions expertise

By developing its own new technologies and combining these with others procured externally, Evonik has now succeeded in utilizing this material stream from the refinery. The main challenge here lay in separating any unwanted accompanying substances from the FCC-C4 stream. The new technology incorporates various chemical reactions and absorption techniques that allow an efficient yet flexible process. The 90-meter column removes the saturated compounds (butanes), which are of less interest to Evonik, from the FCC-C4 material stream, so that the more valuable unsaturated C4 compounds (butenes) can be further processed to specialty chemicals.

Double benefit: Innovation and collaboration

Evonik draws the FCC-C4 material stream by pipeline from the refinery in Gelsenkirchen, about 15 km from the Marl site. Because the residual butanes are a valuable raw material for the Scholven refinery, Evonik returns these by pipeline to Gelsenkirchen where it is used as a raw material for the olefin plant. "The project that has now been implemented emphasizes the significance of mineral oil processing for the supply chains of the chemical industry. It is a good example for a cross-company cooperation that strengthens competitiveness," says Frédéric Baudry, member of the Executive Board of BP Europa SE and responsible for the petrochemical business of the company.

Klaus Engel, Chairman of the Executive Board of Evonik, says: "With the expansion of our C4 capacities we’re sustainably strengthening our market position. What’s more, the new technology for raw-material supply for the Marl plant and our excellent collaboration with BP demonstrate yet again the innovative strength of companies in the Ruhr district and their readiness to collaborate. We are confident, therefore, that there will continue to be a strong industrial base in the region."

Evonik has long been a leading global supplier of C4-based products such as butadiene, MTBE, isobutene, 1-butene, and INA (isononanol) as well as 2-PH (2-propylheptanol) and DINP (diisononyl phthalate). For this purpose Evonik operates integrated large-scale plants for processing of C4 raw materials. The company offers its customers the benefit of many years of logistics expertise and an excellent global service network.

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