Acetylene Vs. Ethylene As Chemical Raw Material
Report No. 109
ACETYLENEVERSUS ETHYLENE AS A CHEMICAL RAW MATERIAL
by HAROLD W. SCHEELINE
September 1976
A private report by the
PROCESS ECONOMICS PROGRAM
I STANFORD RESEARCH INSTITUTE MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA I For detailed marketing data and information, the reader is referred to one of the SRI programs specializing in marketing research. The CHEMICAL ECONOMICS HANDBOOK Program covers most major chemicals and chemical products produced in the United States and the WORLD HYDROCARBONS Program covers major hydrocarbons and their derivatives on a worldwide basis. In addition, the SRI DIRECTORY OF CHEMICAL PRODUCERS services provide detailed lists of chemical producers by company, product, and plant for the United States and Western Europe.
ii CONTENTS l INTRODUCTION . . , ...... 1
2 SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION OF ECONOMIC RESULTS ...... 3 Economic Bases Used 4 Ethylene and Acetylene Economics ...... 4 Vinyl Chloride Monomer Economics ...... 12 Vinyl Acetate Monomer Economics ...... :z Acetaldehyde Economics ...... General Conclusions ...... 19
3 INDUSTRY STATUS ...... 23 Historical Aspects ...... 23 Acetylene and Ethylene ...... iz Vinyl Chloride Monomer (VCM) ...... Vinyl Acetate Monomer (VAM) ...... 32 Acetaldehyde ...... 32
4 ETHYLENE FROM NAPHTHA AND GAS OIL FEEDS ...... 35 General Process Features ...... 35 Economics ...... 36
5 ACETYLENE VIA CALCIUM CARBIDE ...... 43 Chemistry 43 General Process Features ...... 45 Economics ...... 48
6 ACETYLENE BY ARC-COAL PROCESS ...... 51 Chemistry ...... 51 General Process Features :'; Economics ......
7 ACETYLENE FROM NATURAL GAS BY PARTIAL OXIDATION ...... 61 Chemistry ...... 61 General Process Features ...... 62 Economics ...... 64
vii CONTENTS
8 ACETYLENE AND ETHYLENE FROM CRUDE OR RESIDUAL OILS BY SUBMERGED FLAME PROCESS ...... 69 Technical Background ...... 69 General Process Features ...... 70 Economics ...... 75
9 VINYL CHLORIDE FROM ETHYLENE BY BALANCED CHLORINATION- OXYCHLORINATION ...... 81 Chemistry 81 General Process Features ...... 83 Economics ...... 86
10 VINYL CHLORIDE FROM ACETYLENE ...... 89 Chemistry 89 General Process Features ...... 90 Economics ...... 92
11 VINYL ACETATE FROM ETHYLENE ...... 95 Chemistry 95 General Process Features ...... 96. Economics ...... 99
12 VINYL ACETATE FROM ACETYLENE ...... 103 Chemistry 103 General Process Features ...... 104 Economics ...... 107
13 ACETALDEHYDE FROM ETHYLENE ...... 109 Chemistry ...... 109 General Process Features 110 One-Stage Process ...... 110 Two-Stage Process 111 Remarks Pertaining to Both Processes ...... 114 Economics ...... 114
14 ACETALDEHYDE FROM ACETYLENE ...... 119 Chemistry 119 General Process Features ...... 121 Economics ...... 123
CITED REFERENCES ...... 125
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ILLUSTRATIONS
2.1 Ethylene and Acetylene Value as a Function of Fuel Price . . 10
2.2 Ethylene and Acetylene Value as a Function of Return on Total Fixed Capital ...... 11
2.3 Ethylene Versus Acetylene as Raw Material for Vinyl Chloride Monomer ...... 14
2.4 The Effect of Fuel Price on the Value of Vinyl Chloride Monomer from Integrated Ethylene-VCM and Acetylene-VCM Plants ...... 16
2.5 Ethylene Versus Acetylene as Raw Material for Vinyl Acetate Monomer ...... 17
2.6 The Effect of Fuel Price on the Value of Vinyl Acetate Monomer from Integrated Ethylene-VAM and Acetylene-VAM Plants ...... 18
2.7 Ethylene Versus Acetylene as Raw Material for Acetaldehyde . 21
2.8 The Effect of Fuel Price on the Value of Acetaldehyde from Integrated Ethylene-Acetaldehyde and Acetylene-Acetaldehyde Plants ...... 22
3.1 Principal Derivatives of Acetylene and Ethylene ...... 29
4.1 Ethylene from Naphtha or Gas Oil Feeds ...... 127
5.1 Acetylene via Calcium Carbide ...... 129
6.1 Acetylene by Arc-Coal Process ...... 131
7.1 Acetylene from Natural Gas by Partial Oxidation ...... 133
8.1 Acetylene and Ethylene by Submerged Flame Process . . . . . 135
9.1 Vinyl Chloride from Ethylene by Balanced Chlorination- Oxychlorination ...... 137
10.1 Vinyl Chloride from Acetylene ...... 139
11.1 Vinyl Acetate from Ethylene ...... 141
12.1 Vinyl Acetate from Acetylene ...... 143 ILLUSTRATIONS
13.1 Acetaldehyde from Ethylene by One-Stage Process ...... 145
13.2 Acetaldehyde from Ethylene by Two-Stage Process ...... 147
14.1 Acetaldehyde from Acetylene ...... 149
X TABLES
2.1 Prices Used for Fuels and Utilities in Ethylene and Acetylene Production Economics ...... 5
2.2 Prices Used for Chemical By-Product Credits in Ethylene and Acetylene Production Economics ...... 6
2.3 Summarized Ethylene and Acetylene Economics ...... 8
2.4 Summarized Vinyl Chloride, Vinyl Acetate, and Acetaldehyde Economics ...... 13
3.1 Acetylene and Ethylene Production in the United States . . 26
3.2 Acetylene Plant Capacities in the United States ...... 28
3.3 Vinyl Chloride Monomer Plant Capacities in the United States ...... 31
3.4 Vinyl Acetate Monomer Plant Capacities in the United States ...... 33
3.5 Acetaldehyde Plant Capacities in the United States . . . . 34
4.1 Ethylene from Naphtha or Gas Oil Feeds Feed Requirements and Products ...... 37
4.2 Ethylene from Naphtha or Gas Oil Feeds Capital Investments ...... 39
4.3 Ethylene from Naphtha Economics ...... 41
4.4 Ethylene from Gas Oil Economics ...... 42
5.1 Acetylene via Calcium Carbide Process Requirements ...... 46
5.2 Acetylene via Calcium Carbide Economics ...... 50
6.1 Acetylene by Arc-Coal Process Reactor Yields Used in Process Design ...... 53
xi TABLES
6.2 Acetylene by Arc-Coal Process Economics ...... 59
7.1 Acetylene from Natural Gas by Partial Oxidation Reactor Conditions and Process Yields ...... 63
7.2 Acetylene from Natural Gas by Partial Oxidation Economics ...... 67
8.1 Acetylene and Ethylene by Submerged Flame Process Cracked Gas Composition ...... 71
8.2 Acetylene and Ethylene by Submerged Flame Process Cd+ Hydrocarbon Composition ...... 71
8.3 Acetylene and Ethylene by Submerged Flame Process Material and Utility Balances ...... 73
8.4 Acetylene and Ethylene from Crude Oil by Submerged Flame Process Economics ...... 78
8.5 Acetylene and Ethylene from Residual Oil by Submerged Flame Process Economics ...... 79
9.1 Vinyl Chloride from Ethylene by Balanced Chlorination- Oxychlorination Summary of Reactor Conditions and Yields ...... 84
9.2 Vinyl Chloride from Ethylene by Balanced Chlorination- Oxychlorination Economics ...... 87
10.1 Vinyl Chloride from Acetylene Economics ...... 94
11.1 Vinyl Acetate from Ethylene Reactor Conditions and Yield Basis ...... 97
11.2 Vinyl Acetate from Ethylene Economics ...... 101
12.1 Vinyl Acetate from Acetylene Design Assumptions ...... 105
xii TABLES
12.2 Vinyl Acetate from Acetylene Economics ...... 108
13.1 Acetaldehyde from Ethylene Raw Material, Chemical, and Utility Requirements . . . . . 112
13.2 Acetaldehyde from Ethylene by One-Stage Process Economics ...... 116
13.3 Acetaldehyde from Ethylene by Two-Stage Process Economics ...... 117
14.1 Acetaldehyde from Acetylene Economics ...... 124
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