Construction of the first AVENEER MMA production plant slated for 2014
Like the traditional ACH sulfo process, AVENEER® is based on the starting materials ammonia, methane, acetone, and methanol. It dispenses, however, with the sulfuric acid that is normally used. Just recently, Evonik Industries demonstrated its process engineering expertise in optimizing production processes by successfully launching the world-scale methacrylate integrated production network at its Shanghai site. The investment, worth €250 million, was used on the familiar C4 process, which was nevertheless significantly redeveloped for the first time. This investment considerably broadened the technology platform in the business unit, a strategy Evonik is systematically continuing with AVENEER®.
The three-year operation of the AVENEER® pilot plant at the facility in Worms, Germany, will enter the final stage in the next few days. “Over the last few years, we’ve worked feverishly on proving that the new process is technically feasible—and that it saves costs and conserves resources as anticipated—but also on optimizing it in a number of ways,” said Gregor Hetzke, the president of the Performance Polymers Business Unit. On account of the potential AVENEER® showed from the very beginning, the work continued unabated even in the crisis-hit 2009. “In contrast to other MMA manufacturing processes”, Hetzke continues, “AVENEER® offers major advantages in terms of resource efficiency, capital investment requirements, and choice of location.”
With an overall yield of 95%, the process is already intensively using the resources deployed, which ultimately has benefits for the environment. An internal study also showed that, in contrast to established processes, CO2 emissions from the AVENEER® process are lower than 1,000 kg CO2/mt MMA, virtually half of the previous figure.
Work on clarifying the location of the first AVENEER® plant (nominal capacity: 150–200 kt MMA) is currently underway. A decision will be reached in 2011.
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