Iran Petchem’s Technological Stride
Iran’s petrochemical industry has worked out mechanisms to become the top producer in the region. To that effect, it eyes production of 100 m t/y of petrochemical products in order to generate revenues from exporting technical savvy.
Under the present circumstances where catalysts needed in the petrochemical industry are subjected to international sanctions imposed on Iran, Iranian petrochemical experts realized that the production of catalysts would not only be needed in domestic markets, but also in neighboring countries.
Thanks to relentless efforts made by Iranian researchers, the technical knowhow for a number of catalysts used in the petrochemical industry were developed in the country, some of which are used in dehydrogenation, transformation of methanol to dimethyl ether (DME), methanol synthesis, acetone hydrogenation and dry reforming.
Iran’s Petrochemical Research and Technology Company (PRTC), a hub for development of petrochemical knowhow, has been instrumental in this sector in recent years.
Iran Petroleum has conducted an interview with Esmael Qanbari, managing director of PRTC, about the research achievements by this company in the petrochemical sector.
Q: What measures and studies have been undertaken in this company for acquiring new licenses in petrochemical plants?
A: Since the low level of technology’s endogenous production has made the process of attraction of technology very costly and difficult, making investment for upgrading domestic capabilities seems to be a must. That happened in the petrochemical sector with the establishment of PRTC. Research creates capacity for attracting new knowledge and technology. PRTC has elucidated the process of commercialization of domestic knowledge, identified the licenses required by Iran’s petrochemical industry and classified them based on the priorities of National Iranian Petrochemical Company (NPC) with a view to granting license to petrochemical entities in the country. Some of these measures are technical knowhow for the development of methanol, ammoniac, methanol-to-propylene, high-density polyethylene, catalyst and chemicals.
Moreover, given the significance of development and commercialization of modern technologies in the country and in different scientific and industrial sectors, PRTC has established a Modern Technologies Research Group comprised of four subgroups – nanotechnology, biotechnology, membrane technology, recycling technology and renewable energies, HSE, water and wastewater treatment – for the purpose of making policies, formulating plans and monitoring the implementation of projects in the petrochemical sector. We believe that we can make great achievements in indigenizing the licenses required in the petrochemical industry under the aegis of constructive interaction with industry.
Development of tens of R&D products has strengthened economic policies and the valuable achievements acquired in this way can strengthen the pillars of Iran’s petrochemical industry. At present, 30 indigenized savvies are ready to be put into practice.
Q: Would you provide a report on the performance of this company in acquiring technical knowhow and its commercialization in the petrochemical sector in recent years?
A: Due to access to sufficient feedstock, downstream petrochemical industries and foreign markets, Iran has been the destination of numerous foreign licenses for the establishment of polyolefin plants. In line with the slogan of self-sufficiency in the petrochemical industry and with the objective of providing the necessary license for petrochemical projects, this company has managed to launch the first high-density polyethylene (HDPE) unit following years of research on catalysts. Iranian researchers also developed slurry technology for HDPE production. PRTC experts continued their relentless efforts and managed to develop multi-modal process (MMP)-HDPE technology which has technical and economic advantages compared with bi-modal process. It is a great honor for PRTC that Bushehr Petrochemical Company has chosen MMP-HDPE to produce 310,000 tons a year of HDPE. Iran has now joined the club of countries granting license for HDPE production. For the aforesaid processes, PRTC has developed two catalysts SACIR 510 and SACIR 511. SACIR 510 can substitute 35% of 500-ton demand for polyolefin catalysts. Some advantages of SACIR 510 compared with foreign products include simpler production process, more optimal control of polymerization process, and more valuable production, usability in pressured pipelines, strong tissues and injection products. Moreover, due to a high level of activities and proper mass density, it facilitates enhancing production more than 10% above the nominal capacity of polyolefin units. But SACIR 511 is developed specifically for MMP-HDPE and it would be possible to produce multi-modal blown films of various grades. According to polymerization tests, the catalyst used for producing three-modal polyethylene has good specifications like responsiveness to hydrogen, distribution of molecular mass on a wide area and residence time distribution.
Other achievements include development of technology for methanol synthesis and its catalyst, Propylene via Methanol (PVM), PVM catalyst, ethylene dichloride EDC catalysts and chemicals.
Q: PRTC has in recent years been considering a research plan for producing biodegradable polymer materials. Would you please tell us about that?
A: One of these projects involves production of polyethylene-based biodegradable materials with starch and exo-peroxydant. The product obtained from this process could be used for different purposes including foodstuff packaging, disposable tablemats and plastic bags.
This year, final products used in foodstuff packaging and other bags have acquired biodegradability license, based on European standards, from Belgium. Given the role of polyethylene bags in environmental pollution, almost all advanced countries and even some Middle East nations like the United Arab Emirates have made the use of biodegradable bags obligatory.
Q: Would you please tell us about PRTC’s measures with regard to technical knowhow needed by downstream petrochemical sectors?
A: In order to provide a variety of services to downstream petrochemical industries, completion of organizational infrastructure related to this sector has been taken into consideration in recent years. The infrastructure includes equipment of labs, workshops, integrated management system for more effective use of research potentialities, development of joint research cooperation with domestic and international institutes, monitoring and updating scientific database, offering approaches for qualitative and quantitative optimization, improving the efficiency of products and processes, development of technical knowhow and new catalysts, as well as indigenizing technology.
Companies manufacturing raw materials or plastic products are making efforts to compensate for their shortcomings and go ahead with their production by relying on their own human resources and technology for a number of reasons including restrictions in the supply of raw materials, tightly competitive domestic market, obstacles to exports and inappropriate economic conditions which make it costly to use new technologies. Given the needs of downstream petrochemical industries and the capabilities of the company in research and technology, these services include technical, research and development services for the product, lab services, consultation, education and software.
To that effect, close and active cooperation with downstream petrochemical industries has resulted in the implementation of various research projects, leading to the acquisition of technical knowhow like PC/ABS compound for use in household appliances, vehicles, industrial-scale biodegradable polyethylene, painting master batch in different grades, compounds with high light sustainability properties on semi-industrial scale, Random Copolymer Polypropylene (RCPP) for use in water taps, networkable polyethylene for cable insulation at semi-industrial scale, transparent polypropylene at semi-industrial scale, car bumper compound at semi-industrial scale, application of processes for the resolution of process problems pertaining to HDPE and LLDPE at semi-industrial scale, polyethylene foam at semi-industrial scale, mica-filled propylene compound at semi-industrial scale, propylene compound for semi-industrial thermo reforming, anti-fire PC/ABS at semi-industrial scale .
Q: What have you done with regard to technical and research services and development of products?
A: We have provided numerous services like presenting formulation, technical services for choosing proper polymer materials to be used in downstream industries, technical services for creating optimal conditions, choosing the appropriate technology and formulation standards for testing products.
Lab services include MFI, Tensile, Flextural، HDT/Vicat, DSC, RMS, FNCT (Full Notch Creep Test), Accelerated Weathering Tester, Falling Dart Ceast Fractovis (high energy), Particle size analyzer, Milling Machine, Notching Machine, Die Punch, Tear tester, Hardness Tester (shore), Tensile, ester, Digital Thickness meter, Heat Seal Tester & Hot Tack, Dynamic Impact, Tester (cryodispenser) and Density meter (Column & Gravimeter type).
Q: Would you please tell us about the background as well as the current level of cooperation between this company and foreign knowledge-based companies? What are the future plans of the company?
A: In order to acquire state-of-the-art technology and narrow down its technological distance with leading companies, we need to broaden our international interaction. For that purpose, we have to believe in our capabilities, benefit from the experience of other companies and use the achievements of domestic and foreign companies. Such cooperation could be a combination of domestic capability and global experiences.
It is clear that implementation of joint research projects with well-known companies will accelerate learning in a more successful manner. In other words, close cooperation with foreign experts throughout the operation of project guarantees transfer of technical savvy into the country. Such experience would be achieved in no seminar, workshop or university.
In choosing an international colleague, the general conditions of the society, the specific conditions of the foreign company and its technological capabilities should be taken into consideration. To that effect, PRTC has developed international communications based on international circumstances in different periods of time.
International companies are showing signs of openness to Iran and at the same time PRTC has boosted its capabilities. We are also looking for joint research and technology activities with foreign research and knowledge-based centers. We are striking a deal with a Norwegian company for research and technology cooperation on polymer. We have technically reached agreement with this Norwegian company and our agreement will be finalized as soon as we could resolve the relevant international legal and financial problems.
Q: What do you propose for more diversity in Iran’s petrochemical products?
A: Technological changes in conformity with the needs of global community in the petrochemical industry are occurring at an obviously rapid pace. The diversity of producers and growing quantitative and qualitative expectations as well as cost price has encouraged petrochemical producers to focus on diversity in their products for improvement. A glimpse at the products supplied by some companies and the changes they have introduced in their procedures in recent months bear proof to this undeniable fact. For instance, Basel is a leading producer of polyolefin in the world and it has raised the diversity of its products from 600 grades to 1,100 grades over five years. The company had phased out 200 grades and added 700 new grades. This issue is not limited to Basel and polyolefin as the same goes for other petrochemical products and top producers. For diversifying products, it would not be possible to purchase new licenses or upgrade the existing ones. In order to distance rivals in the market and diversify the products, the only way would be to acquire technical knowhow for production. Complete familiarity through acquiring technical knowhow would facilitate changes and contribute to the development of new products. This issue is especially important with regard to updating production units technically.
An important point that should be taken into account is that improving the quality of products and reducing production costs would help generate more value-added and give a bigger share of the market. Therefore, every company would have to diversify its products and supply products of higher quality and lower cost in order to be able to win a bigger share of the market.