Shandong based coal chemical company, Jinneng Science and Technology, has given the contract to the world’s leading plastic producer and technology provider LyondellBasell to provide technology for its new polypropylene facility.   

The new polypropylene facility planned in the Qingdao City of Shandong Province will house two polypropylene plants of 450 KTPA production capacity each. One of the plants will be equipped with Spherizone technology while the other will have Spheripol technology, both provided by LyondellBasell.

The advanced age Spheripol technology furnishes maximum process productivity thereby promoting the plant’s operating efficiency. On the other hand, LyondellBasell’s Spherizone multi-zone circulating reactor facilitates the production of polypropylene with unique morphology and upgraded properties. Both the plants will be exploiting LyondellBasell’s proprietary Avant Ziegler Natta Catalysts for polymerization of monomeric feedstocks.

Polypropylene is a linear polymeric thermoplastic made from the addition of propylene monomers. Its high mechanical strength, chemical resistance, weather-proof quality, colour retention and mouldability have established a universe of its applications in commodity packaging, automotive components, medical equipment, textile etc.

As per ChemAnalyst, the global consumption of polypropylene in 2020 was valued to be USD 117.8 billion. China with its large electronic base and increasing population drive the high polypropylene demand in the Asia Pacific region. The addition of the polypropylene facility in the country will enhance the domestic polypropylene supply to the downstream sectors, thereby conforming to the high domestic demand. However, in the current scenario where China is restricting energy use in many of its provinces to achieve its net zero carbon target, the new production units may have to face limitations like power outages and delayed feedstock supplies.