Abadan Petrochemical Complex in Khuzestan Province has planned projects to increase its profitability, the managing director of the company said.
“Two months ago, the construction of a chlorine injection unit started at the complex to supply part of the demand for ethylene dichloride (EDC). The project will help reduce the cost of our product,” Omid Bachari was quoted as saying by Maftena website.
A colorless to yellowish liquid with a faint chloroform-type odor, EDC is used primarily in the production of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), which is the major precursor for PVC production. PVC is commonly used in pipes, fittings, profiles, tubes, windows, doors, sidings, wire, cable, film, sheet and flooring.
EDC is made by the direct chlorination or oxychlorination of ethylene. Most EDC units are integrated with VCM units.
Speaking about other projects, Bachari said, “Unfortunately, our production chain in the plant is incomplete due to the wear and tear of our chloralkali unit. Therefore, we have planned to build a new unit to improve our production value chain.”
The chloralkali electrolysis process is used in the manufacture of chlorine, hydrogen and sodium hydroxide (caustic) solution. Of these three, the primary product is chlorine that is one of the most abundant chemicals produced by industry with a wide variety of uses.
Chlorine is used to disinfect water and is part of the sanitation process for sewage and industrial waste. During the production of paper and cloth, chlorine is used as a bleaching agent. It is also used in cleaning products, including household bleach which is chlorine dissolved in water.
“We are also trying to connect Abadan Petrochemical Plant to the West Ethylene Pipeline [WEP] to ensure the stability of feedstock for PVC production,” he added.
Extending from the port city of Asalouyeh off the Persian Gulf in the south to the northwest, WEP is a 2,800-kilometer pipeline that supplies ethylene as feedstock to 13 petrochemical factories for producing value-added goods.
Collaboration With Maroun Company
Referring to a memorandum of understanding signed between Abadan Petrochemical Complex and Maroun Petrochemical Company, Bachari said an 8-hectare land next to the Abadan plant has been allotted for the construction of an acrylonitrile unit.
“The unit will have a production capacity of 90,000 tons of acrylonitrile per year and this will make Abadan the first producer of this product in Iran, making the country needless of its import,” he added.
Acrylonitrile is used in the manufacture of acrylic and modacrylic fibers for use in clothing and textiles, such as fleece jumpers, sportswear, carpets and upholstery. Acrylic fibers are also used as a precursor in the production of carbon fiber.
“The construction of a citric acid unit has also been planned at the complex at an estimated cost of $30-40 million,” he said.
Citric acid is commonly used as a food additive for natural flavoring and as a preservative. It is also used in cosmetics, for medical purposes, as an antioxidant and in cleaning products.
Abadan Petrochemical Complex is one of the oldest Iranian petrochemical plants, which is not operating as expected due to years of poor maintenance.
Much of the feedstock for Abadan Petrochemical Complex is supplied from the nearby Abadan Oil Refinery.
The refinery, once one of the biggest in the world with a capacity of 400,000 barrels a day, is located in the city of Abadan near the Persian Gulf. It was founded in 1909 by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company.
