Axens to supply technology for isononyl alcohol production plant

Axens has announced that Taiwan-Japan Oxo Chemical Industries Inc. (TJOCI) will use Axens’ technologies and catalysts for its isononyl alcohol (INA) production plant.

On 11 February 2015, CPC, KH Neochem (KHNC) and Mega International Commercial Bank (MICB) signed an agreement setting up a joint venture for the production of high value added petrochemical products.

Under this agreement, TJOCI will invest TWD13.7 billion in the construction of a production plant of INA in the Kaohsiung area, Taiwan. The plant is scheduled to begin commercial operations in 2019, with its initial annual production capacity of high value added petrochemical products set at 180 000 t of INA.

The INA is mainly used to produce diisononyl phthalate (DINP), which is a plasticiser. Thanks to its high level of performances, DINP is widely used for the manufacture of automotive parts, electric wires and cables as well as conducting materials. Demand for DINP, and hence also for INA, is expected to grow every year in the foreseeable future. This project is the largest single investment ever held by Japanese and Taiwanese companies in the petrochemical area in Taiwan.

As part of this project, Axens will provide a whole chain of technologies including MTBE and Dimersol-XTM technologies to ensure octenes production utilised for the synthesis of the INA via hydroformylation.

"We are extremely pleased to help TJOCI in this venture. Axens’ ability to propose a complete and well proven solution for octenes production has been critical in this project. This will continue to strengthen our relationship with both CPC and KH Neochem. We think that the business of production of phthalates with longer carbon chain such as DINP will continue to grow in the near future and Axens’ technologies in this field are a very good fit” said Christian Dupraz, Axens’ Senior Executive Vice President, Process Licensing.

Adapted from press release by Rosalie Starling

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/petrochemicals/01032016/axens-to-supply-technology-for-isononyl-alcohol-production-plant-2620/