COMPRESS™ PTA Technology Process
PET is playing an increasingly significant role as one of the basic performance polymers used in fiber, film, packaging containers, engineering resin and binder resins and its growth is expected to continue in the future as consumerism in emerging economies expands. Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) and Ethylene glycol (MEG) are the main raw materials for PET.
DOW and PTA
Dow's participation in the PTA business began in Italy in 1968 with PTA production, in 1987 Dow first licensed PTA technology and since that date over 3.8 million MT/year of PTA has been licensed by Dow in 10 sites, in 6 countries.
In 2008, Dow and Davy Process Technology broadened their 35-year collaboration on LP Oxosm Process Technology, the world's leading process technology for producing oxo alcohols, to include the further development of the Dow's PTA technology.
The work of Davy's engineering groups in Milan and London with proven experience in licensing and process optimization, supported by Dow staff, resulted in the introduction in 2010 of the new COMPRESS™ PTA technology process.
The technology is jointly licensed, with basic engineering being provided by Davy, which has built a reputation for developing and designing processes with high efficiency and reliability, based upon a strong combination of chemistry, chemical and mechanical engineering skills. Dow and Davy assign an experienced team of professionals from both companies to each project on all phases and for the continued operation of the plant.
COMPRESS™ PTA Advantages
COMPRESS™ PTA is a streamlined technology using conventional chemistry and the breakthrough combination of demonstrated pressure filtration, solvent recovery and integrated water recycle processes that delivers the following advantages when compared with other PTA technologies:
- Lowest investment cost, approximately 15% lower, the COMPRESS™ PTA streamlined process substantially reduces equipment count due to utilization of pressure filtration technology, improved solvent recovery unit operation and the simplification of the CTA drying and feed preparation systems.
- Compact process layout, approximately 25% reduction is size.
- Higher process reliability translated into higher operating rates, due to COMPRESS™ PTA simplified process flow sheet, significant reduction in number of rotating items of equipment and fewer control loops.
- Lower operating costs, approximately 20% due to lower electrical power consumption, reduced demand of cooling and hot demin water and lower steam consumption obtained as a result of the optimized energy efficiency and heat integration.
- Minimal environmental impact due to; lower emission of heavy metals in the waste water, and lower emissions to the atmosphere or to the liquid effluent stream.