A propylene oxide pilot unit is being constructed at the KARPATNAFTOCHIM petrochemical plant in Kalush, Ukraine. The unit will process propylene produced on-site and is scheduled to start operating in the third quarter of 2019. The technology being implemented is propylene epoxidation with hydrogen peroxide, which is environmentally friendly and has fewer by-products compared to other processes. The Ukrainian company TECHINSERVICE Manufacturing Group is responsible for the technology development, design, and equipment manufacture. The technology uses acetonitrile as a solvent and a TS-1 catalyst produced by TECHINSERVICE. The project also includes the construction of an industrial unit for propylene oxide and a hydrogen peroxide unit.
Propylene oxide pilot unit with capacity of 2700 ton per year is under construction on the site of KARPATNAFTOCHIM petrochemical plant (Kalush) in the Western Ukraine. This unit is to process the own-produced propylene. The start-up of the unit is scheduled for 3rd quarter of 2019.
The technology of propylene epoxidation with hydrogen peroxide is being implemented. This technology is environmentally friendly and does not have a significant amount of by-products compared to the chlorohydrin process or technologies of propylene epoxidation with hydroperoxides.
The technology development, design and manufacture of equipment for a propylene oxide pilot unit is carried out by the Ukrainian company TECHINSERVICE Manufacturing Group.
A special feature of the TECHINSERVICE patented technology is the use of acetonitrile as a solvent. Therefore, the process is called HPPOa. This technology has successfully passed the laboratory tests. For the epoxidation process, it is planned to use a TS-1 catalyst produced by TECHINSERVICE with its proprietary patented technology, the production method of which differs from the known analogues in that it uses the solid fumed silica as a source of silicon ions.
The first stage is a construction of propylene oxide pilot unit with a capacity of 2,700 tons per year. The second stage of this project is the construction of propylene oxide industrial unit with a capacity of 130 kta and hydrogen peroxide unit with a capacity of 90 kta at the site of KARPATNAFTOCHIM.