- Originally designed in 1979 to use benzene as feedstock.
- Revamped in June 2006 to use N-butane for environmental and financial reasons.
- First-year capacity was 9,600 tonnes of crude Maleic Anhydride.
- Maleic Anhydride is produced by catalytic oxidation of N-butane.
Plant History and Initial Design
The Maleic Anhydride plant was originally designed in 1979 to use benzene as the feedstock for Maleic Anhydride production.
Revamp and Feedstock Change
In June 2006, the plant was revamped to use N-butane as the feedstock due to environmental and financial reasons. The declared capacity in the first year after the revamp was 9,600 tonnes of crude Maleic Anhydride.
Production Process
Maleic Anhydride is produced by the catalytic oxidation of N-butane in the reactor. The produced gas mixture contains Maleic Anhydride in the gas phase. In subsequent steps, the gas mixture is cooled to around 60°C to extract liquefied crude Maleic Anhydride. The remaining Maleic Anhydride in the gas stream is washed in the scrubber column, forming Maleic Acid, which is then dehydrated to form crude Maleic Anhydride. The total quantity of crude Maleic Anhydride is then distilled to remove residual impurities.
Storage and Further Processing
The produced liquid Maleic Anhydride is stored at a temperature above 60°C or processed further in the pastillation section to produce solid Maleic Anhydride.
