Annexure 5 : Building Blocks
The basic
petrochemical products or building blocks from a cracker complexe
are olefins - ethylene, propylene and butadiene. Building blocks
from reformers are aromatics - benzene, toluene and
xylenes.
Ethylene is the most
important building block since it is used to manufacture key
polymers - PVC, LL/LLDPE, HDPE etc., which drive 70% of the
petrochemicals demand. More than 60% of ethylene consumed in India
is for PE and around 18% for PVC.
Ethylene output in
general is taken as the capacity of the cracker. Most of the
complexes try to maximize the output of ethylene. Capacities of
other products are dependant on the capacity of
ethylene.
Ethylene in India is
produced in two alternate ways. Small capacity plants manufacture
ethylene by the use of molasses or alcohol. Earlier, when prices of
industrial alcohol were administered and it was available at low
prices, it was economical to operate alcohol based plants. Later
on, the large complexes set up were either naphtha based or natural
gas based plants.
|
Installed Capacities
of Ethylene in India (‘000 ton) Company
|
1997-98
|
1999-2000
(E)
|
|
IPCL
|
430
|
830
|
|
Reliance
Industries
|
750
|
750
|
|
Nocil
|
75
|
75
|
|
GAIL
|
|
300
|
|
Haldia Petro
Chemicals
|
|
420
|
|
Oswal
Agro
|
23
|
23
|
|
Total
|
1,278
|
2,398
|
Benzene, a basic
aromatic chemical is produced from three sources. In petrochemical
plants from a reformer, a refinery product at most refineries and
in steel plants, as a recovery product from coke oven gas obtained
during the carbonization of coal.
Most of the
reformers produce Benzene using naphtha as the feedstock, as the
aromatic content is higher in naphtha as compared to natural
gas.
Benzene is used in
manufacturing caprolactum (more than 30%), Linear Alkyl Benzene
(LAB -more than 20%), styrene (more than 25%), nitrobenzene and
chlorobenzenes and pesticides.
