Lotte selects Honeywell for phenol and acetone production

By increasing the production of phenol and acetone, Lotte raises its market position in high-margin petrochemicals and contributes to the global supply.

Lotte GS Chemical will use Honeywell UOP Q-Max, Phenol 3G and Evonik MSHP technologies to produce more than 565,000 metric tons per annum of phenol and acetone at its petrochemicals facility in Yeosu, Korea.

Honeywell is providing a license for the technology, in addition to basic engineering design services, key equipment, catalysts and adsorbents and technical services. As part of the project, UOP will provide a cumene unit and a phenol unit with alpha-methylstyrene (AMS) hydrogenation. The combined technologies will allow Lotte GS Chemical to produce phenol and acetone derivatives from benzene and polymer-grade propylene.

Bryan Glover, vice president and general manager of Honeywell UOP’s Process Technologies business. “By increasing the production of phenol and acetone, Lotte raises its market position in high-margin petrochemicals and contributes to the global supply.”

The UOP Phenol 3G unit converts cumene into phenol and acetone with high yields and product quality, and low utility consumption. The phenol and acetone products are converted into plastics and other related materials, including bisphenol-A, a building block for polycarbonate plastics, and phenolic resins used to make durable laminated boards and industrial adhesives. The Evonik MSHP process hydrogenates alpha-methylstyrene (AMS) to cumene to be recycled back to oxidation.

When integrated, these technologies offer even lower utility consumption and a high yield of phenol and acetone, with outstanding operating flexibility, on-stream time, reliability and safety.