SBIR Advances
New Process for Producing Styrene
Cuts Costs, Saves Energy, and Reduces
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Styrofoam cups are one of many
With support from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Small Business products made from styrene monomer.
Innovation Research (SBIR) program, Exelus Inc. has developed the Exelus
Styrene Monomer (ExSyM) process, which uses novel catalytic technology Commercializing ExSyM
to maximize styrene monomer (SM) production using toluene and methanol In 2010, Exelus was selected to receive funding under
feedstocks. The ExSyM process requires less capital investment, operates at DOE’s SBIR Phase III Xlerator program. With this support,
lower temperatures, uses less energy, and produces fewer greenhouse gas (GHG) Exelus aims to advance the commercialization of ExSyM
emissions than conventional SM production methods. technology by constructing and operating a pilot-scale
testing unit that meets industry-standard specifications for
Challenge capacity and design. With lower feedstock and capital costs,
ExSyM is an exciting new pathway for SM production.
SM, a colorless oily liquid, is a valuable, large-volume commodity chemical used in
making polystyrene plastics, protective coatings, polyesters, and resins, and as a chemical
intermediate. Global production of styrene in 2010 was 25 million metric tons (27.5 million U.S. tons), of Exelus Inc. (Livingston, NJ),
which approximately 4 million metric tons (4.4 million U.S. tons) originated in the U.S. The global market established in 2000, develops
is valued at approximately $32.5 billion1 and is forecast to grow an average of 3.6% per year. However, the and licenses “Cleaner-by-
conventional process for producing SM consumes tremendous amounts of energy—up to ten times as much Design” chemical technologies
as the production of similar chemicals—and is a major contributor to emissions of GHGs such as methane
to produce a vast array of
and carbon dioxide.
products and materials used in
Conventional SM production methods—in use for more than 70 years—usually require a two-step process. consumer goods, transportation,
The first step involves the alkylation2 of ethylene with benzene over an acid catalyst to form ethylbenzene and food processing. Currently,
(EB). The second step combines EB with high-temperature steam (near 900°C), then dehydrogenates the the company’s principal process
EB over an iron oxide catalyst under vacuum at temperatures in excess of 600°C. The cost of production is technologies are:
elevated by the high-priced feedstocks and the severity and endothermicity of the second step. Attempts to
reduce the energy consumption in this two-step process, through measures such as process optimization and ExSact – a refining technology
catalyst upgrades, have not had a significant impact. A single-step SM production method was investigated that overcomes the environmental
using a side chain alkylation reaction of toluene with methanol; however, reaction complications limited concerns, safety hazards and rising
the SM yields. Many past efforts to improve SM yields in the toluene-methanol approach have primarily costs associated with conventional
concentrated on conventional catalyst improvements. liquid acid technologies
Innovating Solutions ExSyM – energy efficient, low cost
SM production technology
To overcome reaction limitations, Exelus Inc., with support from the DOE’s SBIR program and the New Jersey
Commission on Science & Technology, has been able to make significant strides in developing an innovative BTG – efficient, cost-effective
new process known as ExSyM. This process uses the toluene-methanol approach and employs a proprietary,
conversion of biomass to clean,
engineered solid catalyst in a one-step reaction that enables the production of SM under relatively mild
operating conditions with reaction temperatures around 400°C. Results thus far show dramatic improvement high-octane, gasoline-compatible
in SM product selectivity (the ratio of the desired product quantity to the total quantity of products) of around fuel
80%. The process has been tested in bench-scale reactors, with the catalyst showing no signs of deactivation in http://www.exelusinc.com/
long-term stability tests. As a retrofit for existing plants, the ExSyM process has great potential as a cost-effective
alternative to conventional SM production methods.
In addition to its novel catalyst, ExSyM incorporates reactor design improvements and process innovations
that reduce the decomposition of methanol, minimize the formation of EB, and improve energy efficiency.
At production scale, any EB by-product produced via the ExSyM process could be separated and sold to a
conventional SM producer, or dehydrogenated on-site to boost the overall SM yield. Hydrogen by-product
could also be burned to produce steam to help heat product distillation columns. The single-step ExSyM
method eliminates the energy-intensive dehydrogenation step, allowing for significant energy use reduction and A case study from the DOE/EERE SBIR
concomitant cost savings and lower GHG emissions. Program portfolio, providing competitive
grants for scientific excellence and
technological innovation to advance
1
A current value of styrene is $1300/metric ton.
critical American priorities and build
2
Alkylation is the transfer of an alkyl group of chemical compounds from one molecule to another. a strong national economy – one small
business at a time.
2012
New Process Chemistry for Producing Styrene Monomer Saves Energy, Reduces Emissions
The cost reduction realized with the implementation of the new SM production process could increase global competitiveness of U.S. SM manufacturers,
thereby saving jobs and increasing exports.
SBIR Impacts
Projected Benefits of ExSyM vs. Conventional Styrene Monomer Production3
Conventional SM Production ExSyM
Energy • Second-step dehydrogenation required • Energy-intensive dehydrogenation step is eliminated
• Operation temperature >600°C; steam ~900°C • Reaction temperatures between 400-425°C
• Vacuum operation requires large compressor • 50% less endothermic
• Energy savings up to 40%
Environmental • Large contributor to GHG emissions such as methane • Lower GHG emissions by 40%
and CO2 • Possible recovery and reuse of up to 50% of hydrogen
byproduct for use as an energy supply, thereby reducing
carbon emissions
• Replaces carcinogenic benzene feed with toluene, which
is much less toxic
• Higher feedstock costs of ethylene ($1100/metric ton) • Reduced feedstock costs of toluene ($650/metric ton)
Economic
and benzene ($940/metric ton)4 and methanol ($350/metric ton) result in operating cost
• Investment cost to build a 250,000 metric ton/year plant: savings of $250/ton of styrene4
$125 million • Investment cost to build a 250,000 metric ton/year plant:
$63 million (ExSyM retrofit: $10-15 million)
Innovation Company Success
Exelus Inc. has grown from
The ExSyM system is configured to resemble conventional SM DOE support has been an integral three employees when founded
process units to facilitate retrofitting of existing plants. ExSyM part of the success achieved by Exelus in 2000 to 18 employees in
replaces the more expensive feedstocks of benzene and ethylene with Inc. and their ‘Engineered Catalysts’ 2011, with projected 2012
toluene and methanol in a more cost-effective, energy efficient one- (EnCats) technology platform, a
revenue of $2.5 million.
step route for SM production. Characteristics of the novel proprietary unique class of reactive systems that
catalyst that facilitates the required reaction include: aim to blur the line of distinction
between a catalyst and reactor by incorporating many characteristics that
• the ability to be used in standard fixed-bed reactors
one associates with a reactor within the catalyst structure.
• ‘active sites’ that selectively adsorb toluene to limit methanol
EnCats facilitate the development of, next-generation, clean process
decomposition
technologies. As a part of the EnCats family, ExSyM represents a
• highly-structured pores optimize diffusion and residence time of breakthrough in industrial catalysis as a low cost SM production technology
reactants and products based on new process chemistry, with its potential highlighted in trade
journals such as Chemical & Engineering News, Chemical Engineering
Magazine, and ICIS Chemical Business.
From Phase I development to its most recent Phase III Xlerator award
for pilot-scale testing and further manufacturing scale-up, SBIR support
has been essential to Exelus Inc. in developing its promising new ExSyM
technology.
3
ExSyM projections provided by Exelus Inc. based on bench-scale test results.
4
ICIS Price Reports.
For additional information, please contact:
DOE Exelus Inc.
Dickson Ozokwelu Mitrajit Mukherjee
EERE Industrial Technologies Program President
(202) 586-8501 (973) 740-2350
[email protected] [email protected]
