Anellotech announces commercial plant engineering plans with Axens and IFPEN

Anellotech’s Bio-TCat thermal-catalytic technology produces a mixture of benzene, toluene and xylene (BTX) which can be used to make polymers such as polyester, polycarbonate, and nylon, or high-octane gasoline blendstock. Jacobs recently confirmed that the Bio-TCat process enables a CO₂ emission reduction potential of 70 – 90% when compared to petroleum-derived equivalents. Co-product gas streams from Bio-TCat can be used to produce renewable electricity, hydrogen or cellulosic ethanol using third party technologies.

Commercially viable process yields and catalyst performance have now been achieved at economic design conditions at Anellotech’s TCat-8^® pilot unit in Silsbee, Texas. US. TCat-8 has demonstrated stable operation of process steps and recycle loops, with accurate analytic confirmation. These attractive results have been achieved with real world commercial feedstock: loblolly pine harvested from Georgia, US forests. Anellotech’s MinFree pretreatment process was used to ensure low mineral content in the TCat-8 feedstock.

TCat-8 has operated for over 2000 hr with continuous catalyst circulation including a fluid bed reactor, catalyst stripper, catalyst regenerator, quench tower, and recycle compressor. The pilot plant is operating mass balance closures of 98 – 100%. The TCat-8 unit operates inside a commercial chemical facility that is OSHA PSM compliant.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/petrochemicals/18102018/anellotech-announces-commercial-plant-engineering-plans-with-axens-and-ifpen/