Iranian specialists have indigenized two major catalysts used in the petrochemical industry, which will help save $70 million for the country as their domestic production is much cheaper than purchasing them from foreign countries.
The catalysts are used in ethylbenzene dehydrogenation to styrene and ammonia synthesis, the Oil Ministry’s news agency Shana reported.
The Iranian company Smart Catalyst has succeeded the production of 1 ton of ethylbenzene dehydrogenation to styrene dehydrogenation catalyst and 3 tons of ammonia synthesis catalyst, for the first time in the country.
Ethylbenzene dehydrogenation to styrene catalyst is used in Pars and Tabriz petrochemical plants and ammonia synthesis catalyst is used in urea and ammonia producers such as Razi, Pardis, Khorasan, Hengam, Lordegan, Kermanshah and Masjed Soleiman petrochemical plants.
The ethylbenzene dehydrogenation to produce styrene catalyst saves $20 million and the ammonia synthesis catalyst saves $50 million for the country and the import of the two catalysts is no longer necessary.
The whole process of making the catalysts has been done based on local knowledge and the efforts of domestic researchers and engineers.
The styrene catalyst has taken three years of research and the production of ammonia synthesis catalyst took 15 years of extensive research. Smart catalyst has collaborated with the Petrochemical Research and Technology Company in this field.
Ammonia is one of the most important and widely used petrochemical products, which is formed in nature from the decomposition of nitrogenous organic matter. The highest amount of ammonia consumption is in the production of fertilizers (urea, ammonium sulfate and ammonium phosphates).
The product is used in ice factories and in the production of nitrogenous compounds, synthetic fibers, nitro paraffin, plastic, fiber and paper. It is also used in pharmaceutical industry to make sulfonamides and B vitamins and in mining and metallurgy to extract zinc and nickel.
In addition to the current eight ammonia production units across the country, there are several more under construction to increase the output of the product from the current 4.5 million tons per year by almost 8.4 million tons by 2026.
In the ammonia production unit, eight catalysts are used to prepare the gas for the last reactor, which is responsible for the production of ammonia. The latest reactor is called ammonia synthesis.
Of the total eight catalysts, seven ones were already localized. And now with the efforts of specialists at the Smart Catalyst Company, the last catalyst for the ammonia synthesis has been indigenized.
A catalyst speeds up chemical reaction but is not consumed by it. Most solid catalysts are metals or oxides, sulfides and halides of metallic elements and semi-metallic elements such as boron, aluminum and silicon.
Based in Garmsar County, Semnan Province, Smart Catalyst Company produces a variety of catalysts required in the petrochemical, steel, oil and gas industries, which are used domestically and also exported to Iraq and Afghanistan, among others.
Petrochemical Research and Technology Company is the mainstay for research and production of technology in all petrochemical fields. It creates tech security and contributes to economic growth by exporting know-how.
Of the total 85 catalysts used in Iran’s petrochemical industry, 24 have been indigenized and the localization of 15 more catalysts has been undertaken. Studies are also underway to produce the remaining catalysts.
Domestic petrochemical plants and oil refineries use $400 million worth of catalysts a year, a part of which is produced locally and the rest is imported.
Iranian companies annually use at least 23,000 tons of catalysts.
Catalyst consumption is rising and local companies are improving their R&D in the race to not fall behind foreign competitors.
