Catalytic transformation of hydrocarbons' Cluster

Petroleum, or crude oil, is the starting point for many industrially and societally important carbon-based chemicals broadly referred to as petrochemicals. Petrochemicals include common compounds such as ethylene, propylene and benzene, which are used to make electronics, adhesives, paints, textiles, pharmaceuticals and food packaging. The BIZEOLCAT project addresses the need for lowering the carbon footprint of refining industry through a sustainable approach. It develops four new cost-effective processes and membrane reactors to convert alkanes (methane, propane and butane) into olefins (propylene, butadiene) and aromatics.

C123 is currently validating largely available and unexploited methane resources by an efficient and selective transformation into C3 hydrocarbons, particularly aiming at propylene. The breakthrough innovation is that propylene is not produced via the very energy intensive steam cracking process, but rather by the less energy demanding and more selective build-up from methane and carbon dioxide.