This technology converts light alkanes into ethylene-rich gas, which is separated and reacted with benzene in the presence of an alkylation catalyst to produce ethylbenzene (with minor amounts of polyethylbenzene as byproducts). The polyethylbenzene byproducts are further converted to ethylbenzene with benzene on an alkyl transfer catalyst, yielding ethylbenzene with purity far exceeding national premium standards while co-producing propylene and other byproducts. It offers advantages such as wide raw material sources, flexible scale (tens of hundreds to hundreds of thousands of tons/year), low cost (600-900 RMB/ton cheaper than pure ethylene methods), and maturity of technology.

Technology provider:Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences