Lotte GS Chemical selects Honeywell technology for phenol and acetone production

DES PLAINES, ILL., March 22, 2021 – Honeywell today announced that Lotte GS Chemical Corp . 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.

UOP 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.

“Global demand for plastics and resins such as polystyrene, styrenic resin, polycarbonate and phenolic resin is driving the need for aromatic derivatives,” said 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 contributing to the global supply.”

Cumene is the primary building block for making phenol and its derivatives. UOP’s Q-Max process converts benzene and propylene into high-quality cumene at low benzene-to-propylene ratios using regenerable catalysts that maximize cumene yield, lower utility consumption and minimize capital requirements for downstream fractionation equipment.

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. UOP Q-Max technology is currently licensed in 26 units worldwide, with a total capacity of more than 9 million tons per annum. The UOP phenol technology also is licensed in 22 units worldwide, with a total phenol capacity of more than 5 million tons per annum. 

Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, Lotte Chemical Corp.is a leading manufacturer of petrochemical products, such as ethylene, propylene, butadiene, polyethylene, polypropylene and ethylene oxide/glycol. Lotte has manufacturing facilities located throughout South Korea, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, and the USA.

UOP LLC, a Honeywell company headquartered in Des Plaines, Illinois, is a leading international licensor of processing technology and supplier of engineering services, catalysts and adsorbents, equipment, specialty materials and digital solutions for the global refining, gas processing and petrochemical industries. With more than a century of leadership in hydrocarbon processing technologies, UOP has led six revolutions in technology that transformed the oil and gas industry. For more information visit honeywell.com/us/en/brands/uop.

Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 technology company that delivers industry specific solutions that include aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help everything from aircraft, buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable.  For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.