Veba Process

Formally no explanations have been given for these decisions. However, it is widely believed that the Veba process could not compete economically with the S VZ and blast furnace processes. 

A LCA on treatment options of MPW was performed by the Dutch Centrum voor Energiebesparing en Schone Technologie (CE, Delft) in 1994. This LCA used the VEBA process as an example for feedstock recycling (a.ll). Another LCA was performed by Heyde and Kremer (a.6). Particularly the CE studies suggested that the VEBA process was a bit less advantageous than the Texaco process, mainly due to the fact that the Texaco process does not need agglomeration of MPW as pre-treatment, whereas the VEBA process apparently does. 

A series of industry-scale processes for recovery of liquid fuel from waste plastics have been developed and applied in countries such as the United States, Japan, Germany and England. Some of the processes, such as the Veba process, the BP process, the Fuji process and the Hunan University process have been applied widely and successfully in industry. Some typical pyrolysis processes are listed in Table 28.6. 

In the Veba process [31], a mixture of vacuum residue, lignite and waste plastics is pyrolyzed under conditions similar to the case of crude oil hydrogenation. The main products include gaseous hydrocarbons, alkanes, cyclanes and aromatics. 

The main difference between Veba process and other processes lies in that hydrogenation technology is used in this process, which improves the quality of products. At the same time, waste plastics are stirred and fully mixed by hydrogen. This whole apparatus is capable of disposing of 40000 tons of waste plastics per year, but is relatively complicated and expensive. 

Bottom of the barrel conversion continues to be a top refining priority. Hydrocracking is expected to find an important place in residuum conversion technology. For example, the German Veba processes are modern versions of the early German hydrocracking processes adapted to residuum (43). 

Veba Combi Cracking process (Germany, operational until 2000)... 

The Texaco, Polymer Cracking, VEBA and BASF processes all produce mainly liquid organics or gases that replace primary oil- or gas-based resources. However, it has to be acknowledged that both BASF and VEBA have been closed down or will be closed down shortly, and that the other two processes have not yet been realised on a large scale. 

Commercial VR HCK processes include LC Fining from Chevron-Lummus Global H-Oil from Axens/IFP Canmet from Petro-Canada HC3 from Hydrocarbon Technologies, Inc. Hycycle Unicracking from UOP VCC from Veba Oil HDH from Intevep SA - IFP U-Can from SCN-Lavalin and ENI Slurry Technology (EST) from Snamprogetti SpA and EniTecnologie. 

Benzoraffln A hydrofining process for treating naphtha fractions derived from coal. It is a fixed-bed, gas-phase process using a cobalt/molybdenum oxide catalyst. Developed jointly by BASF, Veba-Chemie, and Lurgi, Ground 1960. 

Ruhrkohle/VEBA Oel-hydrogenation A coal liquifaction process based on the IG-Hydrogenation process. 

THERMOCAT A petroleum cracking process which combines frxed-bed catalytic cracking with steam cracking. Developed by Veba Oel and Linde from 1994. See PYROCAT. 

Veba A process for hydrocracking bitumen, developed by Veba Oel, Germany. 

Traditionally, ethanol has been made from ethylene by sulfation followed by hydrolysis of the ethyl sulfate so produced. This type of process has the disadvantages of severe corrosion problems, the requirement for sulfuric acid reconcentration, and loss of yield caused by ethyl ether formation. Recently a successful direct catalytic hydration of ethylene has been accomplished on a commercial scale. This process, developed by Veba-Chemie in Germany, uses a fixed bed catalytic reaction system. Although direct hydration plants have been operated by Shell Chemical and Texas Eastman, Veba claims technical and economic superiority because of new catalyst developments. Because of its economic superiority, it is now replacing the sulfuric acid based process and has been licensed to British Petroleum in the United Kingdom, Publicker Industries in the United States, and others. By including ethanol dehydrogenation facilities, Veba claims that acetaldehyde can be produced indirectly from ethylene by this combined process at costs competitive with the catalytic oxidation of ethylene. 

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