Honeywell UOP announced that biodegradable resin manufacturer Phu My Plastics Production will use its C3 Oleflex technology to produce polymer-grade propylene at its facility in Vietnam.
Image: Phu My Plastics selects Honeywell UOP’s technology to produce propylene. Photo: Courtesy of Ben Mills and Jynto/Wikipedia.
The Phu My Plastics Production facility with Honeywell’s technology is expected to serve Vietnam and other countries in Southeast Asia to meet growing domestic demand for plastics.
The present order marks the Honeywell UOP’s first award for propane dehydrogenation technology in Vietnam.
Under the present order, Honeywell UOP will provide technology licensing for the Oleflex process, process design package, proprietary and non-proprietary equipment, on-site operator training, technical services for startup and continuing operation, and proprietary catalysts and adsorbents.
Honeywell UOP process technology and equipment business vice president and general manager Bryan Glover said: “This Oleflex unit will use low-priced and widely available propane to make propylene, which can be made into polypropylene, one of the most important materials for making plastics.
“This new capacity will enable Vietnam to meet its own rapidly growing domestic demand for plastics, supplanting propylene products that it currently imports.”
Honeywell UOP’s C3 Oleflex technology converts propane to propylene using catalytic dehydrogenation with low-energy consumption, low emissions and fully recyclable, platinum-alumina-based catalyst system reduced its impact on the environment.
Honeywell UOP said that it has designed C3 Oleflex technology to lower the cost of production and gain higher return on investment compared with other competing technologies.
The technology’s independent reaction and regeneration sections are designed to enable steady-state operations, enhanced operating flexibility, and high on-stream reliability.
Honeywell claims that it also provides technology for the oil and gas industry and licenses C4 Oleflex technology, to convert butane to butylene, which is the primary ingredient for making high-octane fuel additives and synthetic rubber.
Honeywell said that along with this project, its Oleflex technology has been selected for a majority of propane and isobutane dehydrogenation projects across the globe since 2011.
The company claimed that since the first commercialization of its technology in 1990, it has delivered 30 Oleflex units for on-purpose propylene and isobutylene production.
Phu My Plastics Production JSC is mainly engaged in the manufacture and sale of plastic packaging. The company’s products include laminated polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) bags, flexible intermediate bulk containers (FIBCs), as well as woven PP sheets, among others.
The products are consumed in Vietnam, and exported to overseas markets, including Brazil, France, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.