Shenghong Petrochemical Chooses Clariant’s SynDane Catalyst for Its New Global Biodegradable Plastics Project

Clariant, a Swiss chemical major, has signed a significant deal with Jiangsu Shanghong Petrochemicals Co., Ltd, to supply its SynDane 3142 LA catalyst for their new maleic anhydride (MA) production plant in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, China. The new plant will have a production capacity of around 200,000 tons annually.

The production begins in 2025 and is expected to be one of the largest production plants for MA across the country. The plant will produce maleic anhydride as an intermediate product, further utilized to manufacture polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT). The resultant will serve as the base ingredient for producing biodegradable plastic.

With the utilization of the SynDane catalyst, the company will be able to enhance production efficiency and reduce power consumption, which is acquired by the project. The involvement of the catalyst is expected to decrease power consumption levels and will be rewarded with an annual energy saving of up to 24 million CNY.

With this decision, Clariant’s Head of Specialty Catalysts stated that the company promotes sustainability, and it continuously extends its hands to partnering with customers to develop sustainable and efficient solutions. He also mentioned that the company is excited to support the eco-friendly plans of Shenghong, China. According to him, the company also looks forward to maximizing Shenghong’s energy saving during MA production with their innovative SynDane Catalyst.

SynDane catalyst is a unique catalyst that can reduce the pressure drop by 30-35% and significantly lower compressor energy consumption. It also can operate under high n-butane load that further reduces energy consumption, as less air is required to be compressed to lower pressure and achieve the same level of productivity.

Its composition and special structure also contribute towards the quality of MA, which enhances product yield while reducing byproduct formation. Moreover, the exceptionally long lifetime of up to 5 years and wide range of space velocity of 2100 h-1 ultimately improves Shenghong’s flexibility in MA production volume and process efficiency. These abilities of the speciality catalyst will help the plan to react to the market demand fluctuations more quickly.
 
The new plant in Lianyungang majorly aims towards the production of PBAT, which will serve as the base for the production of biodegradable plastic and ultimately will contribute to China’s goal of phasing out the use of non-degradable plastics. China plans to cut non-degradable single-use plastic significantly over the next two years, leading to a rise in the demand for biodegradable plastics of up to 2.5 million metric tons by 2025.

According to Procurement Resource, Clariant Chemicals has signed a deal with Jiangsu Shenghong Petrochemical Co., Ltd to provide its speciality catalyst, the SynDane 3142 LA, for their new biodegradable plastic plant in China. The catalyst is unique in its composition, which will increase the efficiency of the production while reducing the overall power consumption, which the project will acquire. It will eventually maximize Shenghong’s energy saving while contributing to national goals and meeting the market demand for biodegradable plastics.