Omsky Kauchuk, part of Titan Group in Russia, has switched its high-purity propylene production to Russian-made adsorbents and catalysts, the company announced on Nov 6, 2024. Deputy chief executive Alexei Danilov identified reducing dependence on imported catalysts as one of the group's production priorities. The change concerns the propylene production process at the Omsk petrochemical plant.
The company described the domestic solution as more effective than imported alternatives. Separately, Omsky Kauchuk continued testing Russian zeolite-type catalysts. Danilov said the decision on introducing those catalysts into production would follow completion of testing. The operational change and the continuing development programme therefore have different implementation stages.
Products from the Omsk site
- Butadiene-alpha methyl styrene rubbers and propylene.
- Methyl tert-butyl ether, phenol and acetone.
- Isopropyl alcohol.
Zeolite development with a research institute
Titan Group's engineering centre began endurance tests with the Russian Academy of Sciences' Topchiyev Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis earlier in 2024. The joint programme concerns technology for making zeolite catalysts used in the production of isopropyl benzene, also known as cumene. The tests take place at the Omsky Kauchuk laboratory. On Apr 11, the group described the work as preparation for subsequent industrial application.
The plant already operated an installation that alkylates benzene with propylene to produce cumene using zeolite-containing catalyst systems. Danilov expected the joint development to replace imported alternatives, citing supply difficulties and their limited service life. After testing experimental samples, the developers planned to move to industrial catalyst batches. The April programme envisaged cumene production using domestic raw materials by 2026. That timetable remained a project objective. The November announcement still placed the new zeolite catalysts in testing, with an industrial-adoption decision to come afterwards.
Earlier reconstruction of the cumene production chain
Omsky Kauchuk's cumene production had undergone reconstruction before the 2024 catalyst work. On Oct 26, 2021, the company confirmed that it had received permission and commissioned an updated installation with annual capacity of 160,000 tonnes. The reconstruction was intended to increase output by one third. This figure describes the installation's stated capacity, rather than a measurement of production during 2024.
Cumene supplies the production of phenol, acetone and alpha-methylstyrene, a component used for rubber manufacture. The reconstruction project also included an isopropyl-alcohol unit with capacity of approximately 60,000 tonnes a year. The two capacity figures concern different products and installations within the production chain. The earlier reconstruction and the subsequent catalyst programme both concern the Omsk petrochemical site, while the November change specifically covers domestic adsorbents and catalysts in high-purity propylene production.
Leave a comment