Chemical polypropylene

BP Chemical Polypropylene Propylene Gas-phase horizontal stirred bed 8 2000... 

Propylene is one of the main building blocks for petrochemicals and for clean fuel alkylate blends. It is used in the production of a wide variety of petrochemical products such as polypropylene, acrylonitrile, cumene, oxo-alcohols, propylene oxide, acrylic acid, isopropyl alcohol, and polygas chemicals. Polypropylene accounts for about half of the world propylene consumption, which consequently drives the demand. Other uses of propylene within a refinery include alkylation, catalytic polymerization, and dimerization for the production of high-octane gasoline blends. In general, propylene is supplied in three separate quality grades refinery ( 70%), chemical ( 92 to 96%), and polymer (99.6%). 

Perhaps the most important, certainly the most widely known and used thermoplastic must be low density polyethylene (often called polythene). This is the forerunner of the polyolefins group which now includes high density polyethylene and polypropylene. The actual difference in density between high and low density polyethylene is quite small but high density (HD) polyethylene is noticeably harder and stiffer and the two types exhibit different permeability characteristics and resistance to chemicals. Polypropylene has the lowest density of the three, the best rigidity and surface hardness and is able to withstand higher temperatures. 

PROPENE The major use of propene is in the produc tion of polypropylene Two other propene derived organic chemicals acrylonitrile and propylene oxide are also starting materials for polymer synthesis Acrylonitrile is used to make acrylic fibers (see Table 6 5) and propylene oxide is one component in the preparation of polyurethane polymers Cumene itself has no direct uses but rather serves as the starting material in a process that yields two valuable indus trial chemicals acetone and phenol... 

Before the development of the Ziegler-Natta catalyst systems (Section 6 21) polymer ization of propene was not a reaction of much value The reason for this has a stereo chemical basis Consider a section of polypropylene... 

When propene is polymerized under free radical conditions the polypropylene that results IS atactic Catalysts of the Ziegler-Natta type however permit the preparation of either isotactic or syndiotactic polypropylene We see here an example of how proper choice of experimental conditions can affect the stereochemical course of a chemical reaction to the extent that entirely new materials with unique properties result... 

Polyolefins. In these thermoplastic elastomers the hard component is a crystalline polyolefin, such as polyethylene or polypropylene, and the soft portion is composed of ethylene-propylene rubber. Attractive forces between the rubber and resin phases serve as labile cross-links. Some contain a chemically cross-linked rubber phase that imparts a higher degree of elasticity. 

The thermal degradation of mixtures of the common automotive plastics polypropylene, ABS, PVC, and polyurethane can produce low molecular weight chemicals (57). Composition of the blend affected reaction rates. Sequential thermolysis and gasification of commingled plastics found in other waste streams to produce a syngas containing primarily carbon monoxide and hydrogen has been reported (58). 

Propylene requirements for acrylates remain small compared to other chemical uses (polypropylene, acrylonitrile, propylene oxide, 2-propanol, and cumene for acetone and phenol). Hence, cost and availabihty are expected to remain attractive and new acrylate capacity should continue to be propylene-based until after the turn of the century. 

Plastic materials represent less than 10% by weight of all packagiag materials. They have a value of over 7 biUion including composite flexible packagiag about half is for film and half for botties, jars, cups, tubs, and trays. The principal materials used are high density polyethylene (HDPE) for botties, low density polyethylene for film, polypropylene (PP) for film, and polyester for both botties and films. Plastic resias are manufactured by petrochemical companies, eg. Union Carbide and Mobil Chemical for low density polyethylene (LDPE), Solvay for high density polyethylene, Himont for polypropylene, and Shell and Eastman for polyester. 

Poly(vinylidene chloride). Poly(viayHdene chloride) [9002-85-1] (PVDC), most of which is produced by Dow Chemical, is best known in its saran or PVC-copolymerized form (see Vinylidene chloride and poly(VINYLIDENE chloride)). As solvent or emulsion coating, PVDC imparts high oxygen, fat, aroma, and water-vapor resistance to substrates such as ceUophane, oriented polypropylene, polyester, and nylon. 

Chemically Resistant Fibers. Fibers with exceUent chemical resistance to corrosive and/or chemical warfare agents or extreme pH conditions (eg, very acidic or very alkaline) were initially used for protective clothing. However, appHcations for filtration of gases and Hquids in numerous industrial faciHties are now the more important. For example, PPS is suitable for use in filter fabrics for coal-fired boilers because of its outstanding chemical and heat resistance to acidic flue gases and its exceUent durabUity under these end use conditions. Many high tenacity fibers are also chemically inert or relatively unaffected under a variety of conditions. Aramids, gel spun polyethylene, polypropylene, fluorocarbon, and carbon fibers meet these criteria and have been used or are being considered for appHcations where chemical resistance is important. 

Electric Submersible Oil Well Pump Cable. These cables are rated up to 5 kV and are designed for highly corrosive oil wells that besides oil also contain brine and other harsh chemicals as well as gases under high pressure and high temperatures (6). Insulations can be based on polypropylene for low temperature wells or on ethylene—propylene mbber which is compounded with special ingredients in order to resist the environments of high temperature wells (Fig. 4). 

About 35% of total U.S. LPG consumption is as chemical feedstock for petrochemicals and polymer iatermediates. The manufacture of polyethylene, polypropylene, and poly(vinyl chloride) requires huge volumes of ethylene (qv) and propylene which, ia the United States, are produced by thermal cracking/dehydrogenation of propane, butane, and ethane (see Olefin polymers Vinyl polymers). 

It is axiomatic that sales analysis depends on detailed records of sales of a specific chemical to a specific company. Paramount to the success of such studies is the existence of data recorded on a systematic and continuous basis. It follows that these studies are done best by an ia-house staff on products already produced by the company. However, on occasion, a product new to the company can be studied by the ia-house group with the assistance of their field sales force. For example, a producer of polypropylene could use its people to secure data on the consumption of other thermoplastics by their customers. Such an exercise might identify opportunities for a new producer, but a more detailed marketing research study would probably be done before entry iato the new product area was made. 

Fabric Composition. The method of fabric manufacture dictates many of the characteristics of the sheet, but intrinsic properties are firmly estabhshed by the base polymer selected. Properties such as fiber density, temperature resistance, chemical and light stabiUty, ease of coloration, surface energies, and others are a function of the base polymer. Thus, because nylon absorbs more moisture than polypropylene, spunbonded fabrics made from nylon are more water absorbent than fabrics of polypropylene. 

Eastman Chemical has utilized a unique, high temperature solution process for propylene polymerization. Polymerization temperatures are maintained above 150°C to prevent precipitation of the isotactic polypropylene product in the hydrocarbon solvent. At these temperatures, the high rate of polymerization decreases rapidly, requiring low residence times (127). Stereoregularity is also adversely affected by high temperatures. Consequentiy, the... 

Commonly used materials for cable insulation are poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) compounds, polyamides, polyethylenes, polypropylenes, polyurethanes, and fluoropolymers. PVC compounds possess high dielectric and mechanical strength, flexibiUty, and resistance to flame, water, and abrasion. Polyethylene and polypropylene are used for high speed appHcations that require a low dielectric constant and low loss tangent. At low temperatures, these materials are stiff but bendable without breaking. They are also resistant to moisture, chemical attack, heat, and abrasion. Table 14 gives the mechanical and electrical properties of materials used for cable insulation. 

Propjiene [115-07-17, CH2CH=CH2, is perhaps the oldest petrochemical feedstock and is one of the principal light olefins (1) (see Feedstocks). It is used widely as an alkylation (qv) or polymer—ga soline feedstock for octane improvement (see Gasoline and other motor fuels). In addition, large quantities of propylene are used ia plastics as polypropylene, and ia chemicals, eg, acrylonitrile (qv), propylene oxide (qv), 2-propanol, and cumene (qv) (see Olefin POLYMERS,polypropylene Propyl ALCOHOLS). Propylene is produced primarily as a by-product of petroleum (qv) refining and of ethylene (qv) production by steam pyrolysis. 

Worldwide propylene production and capacity utilization for 1992 are given in Table 6 (74). The world capacity to produce propylene reached 41.5 X 10 t in 1992 the demand for propylene amounted to 32.3 x 10 t. About 80% of propylene produced worldwide was derived from steam crackers the balance came from refinery operations and propylene dehydrogenation. The manufacture of polypropylene, a thermoplastic resin, accounted for about 45% of the total demand. Demand for other uses included manufacture of acrylonitrile (qv), oxochemicals, propylene oxide (qv), cumene (qv), isopropyl alcohol (see Propyl alcohols), and polygas chemicals. Each of these markets accounted for about 5—15% of the propylene demand in 1992 (Table 7). 

The uses of propylene may be loosely categorized as refinery or chemical purpose. In the refinery, propylene occurs in varying concentrations in fuel-gas streams. As a refinery feedstock, propylene is alkylated by isobutane or dimerized to produce polymer gasoHne for gasoHne blending. Commercial chemical derivatives include polypropylene, acrylonitrile, propylene oxide, isopropyl alcohol, and others. In 1992, ca 64% of U.S. propylene suppHes were consumed in the production of chemicals (74). Polypropylene has been the largest consumer of propylene since the early 1970s and is likely to dominate propylene utilization for some time. 

Most commercial processes produce polypropylene by a Hquid-phase slurry process. Hexane or heptane are the most commonly used diluents. However, there are a few examples in which Hquid propylene is used as the diluent. The leading companies involved in propylene processes are Amoco Chemicals (Standard OH, Indiana), El Paso (formerly Dart Industries), Exxon Chemical, Hercules, Hoechst, ICl, Mitsubishi Chemical Industries, Mitsubishi Petrochemical, Mitsui Petrochemical, Mitsui Toatsu, Montedison, Phillips Petroleum, SheU, Solvay, and Sumimoto Chemical. Eastman Kodak has developed and commercialized a Hquid-phase solution process. BASE has developed and commercialized a gas-phase process, and Amoco has developed a vapor-phase polymerization process that has been in commercial operation since early 1980. 

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