OREANDA-NEWS. July 6, 2007. SIBUR Khimprom CJSC, one of SIBUR affiliates, has concluded an agreement with The Badger Licensing LLC, an American company, for a license and basic engineering of the planned 220 KTA ethylbenzene processing plant.

The construction of the new ethylbenzene facility is linked to the expansion of styrene capacity and the necessity to replace the outdated equipment.

In the course of choosing a licensing and engineering company special attention was paid to environmental measures and industrial safety. Consequently, the preference was given to The Badger Inc.’ process where environmentally aggressive aluminium chloride is replaced by zeolite catalysts. The technology will allow to eliminate hydrogen chloride and aromatics emissions, as well as pollution of refinery water with chlorides, aluminium salt and phenols.

The catalyst is noncorrosive, environmentally inert and has no special requirements as to the operational safety. The technology makes ethylbenzene production process highly selective and greatly increases the purity of the product with co-products output and utility consumption substantially decreased.

The basic project is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2008.