Olefins Industry
Olefins – unsaturated hydrocarbons with C=C double bonds, including ethylene (C2H4) and propylene (C3H8) are produced through multiple pathways, each with distinct feedstock dependencies, cost structures and carbon footprints. The sustainability of the olefin will depend on its source, processing method and downstream use. Increasingly, sustainability of chemical building blocks such as olefins is judged on the fate of the goods they ae used to produce.
So-called “Scope 3” emissions and lifecycle footprints of those goods is factored in at the olefin production stage – and environmental pressure is building on olefins because of their widespread use in packaging plastics such as polyethylene bags and polypropylene bottle caps.
The problem with these single-use plastic goods is that firstly – they are mostly still fossil-derived and historically their production routes have high carbon emissions. Secondly, they are usually single-use and create considerable volumes of solid waste, of which millions of tonnes ends up in our oceans and waterways where it causes severe ecological damage and harm to aquatic life. The visibility of this pollution and its harmful effects has lead to public anger and mistrust of the entire plastics industry.
A dilemma encountered with polyolefins and many other plastics categories are used in critical applications where they cannot easily be reduced or replaced with a less polluting alternative. Secondly many plastics are used in applications where the time in use extends to many decades e.g., underground infrastructure pipes – these applications have tight and demanding specifications, and cannot be replaced with biodegradable plastics for instance.
For the time being, it seems impossible to eliminate the use of plastics in these kinds of applications. Visit each of the Hexavault knowledge rooms below and make up your own mind up about how the market could find better processing methods and materials for a sustainable future!
Olefins Hexavault Knowledge Rooms
Olefins – Via Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC)
Olefins – Via Metathesis & Olefins Conversion Units (OCU)
Olefins – Via Methanol Conversion (MTO)
Olefins – Via Ethanol Dehydration