PERP Report

Acetic Anhydride/Cellulose Acetate

03/04S1
June 2004

44 South Broadway, White Plains, New York 10601, USA

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Copyright by Nexant, Inc. 2004
This report was prepared by Nexant, Inc (Nexant) and is part of the Process Evaluation/Research Planning (PERP) Program. Except where
specifically stated otherwise in this Report, the information contained herein is prepared on the basis of information that is publicly available,
and contains no confidential third party technical information to the best knowledge of Nexant. Aforesaid information has not been
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Contents
Section
1

Summary...................................................................................................................

1.1

PROCESSING ROUTES TO ACETIC ANHYDRIDE ................................

1.1.1

Ketene Route to Acetic Anhydride ....................................................

1.1.2

Methyl Acetate Carbonylation Route to Acetic Anhydride...............

1.1.3

Methyl Acetate Route to Acetic Anhydride via coal Gasification ....

1.1.4

Co-production of Acetic Acid and Acetic Anhydride .......................

1.1.5

Acetaldehyde Oxidation Route to Acetic Anhydride ........................

1.2

CELLULOSE ACETATE .............................................................................

1.3

ACETIC ANHYDRIDE ECONOMICS........................................................

10

1.3.1

Tow ....................................................................................................

13

CELLULOSE ACETATE ECONOMICS.....................................................

11

1.4.1

Flake...................................................................................................

11

ACETIC ANHYDRIDE COMMERCIAL ANALYSIS ...............................

14

1.5.1

Demand ..............................................................................................

14

1.5.2

Supply ................................................................................................

16

CELLULOSE ACETATE DEMAND...........................................................

17

1.6.1

Demand ..............................................................................................

17

Commercial Technology..........................................................................................

19

2.1

PROCESSING ROUTES TO ACETIC ANHYDRIDE ................................

19

2.1.1

Ketene Route to Acetic Anhydride ....................................................

20

2.1.2

Methyl Acetate Carbonylation Route to Acetic Anhydride...............

23

2.1.3

Acetaldehyde Oxidation Route to Acetic Anhydride ........................

34

NONCOMMERCIAL TECHNOLOGY .......................................................

37

2.2.1

Methyl Acetate Carbonylation on supported Catalyst .......................

37

CELLULOSE ACETATE .............................................................................

41

2.3.1

Chemistry...........................................................................................

41

2.3.2

Process Description............................................................................

43

Developing Technology............................................................................................

48

3.1

48

1.4
1.5

1.6
2

2.2
2.3

Page

ACETIC ANHYDRIDE ................................................................................

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Contents

3.1.1

BP Methyl Formate Addition.............................................................

48

3.1.2

Eastman..............................................................................................

48

Economics .................................................................................................................

50

4.1

ACETIC ANHYDRIDE ................................................................................

50

4.1.1

Cost of Production .............................................................................

50

4.1.2

Developing Technology.....................................................................

57

CELLULOSE ACETATE .............................................................................

60

4.2.1

Flake...................................................................................................

60

4.2.2

Tow ....................................................................................................

62

INTEGRATED CELLULOSE ACETATE ...................................................

62

Commercial ..............................................................................................................

68

5.1

ACETIC ANHYDRIDE ................................................................................

68

5.1.1

Demand ..............................................................................................

68

5.1.2

Supply ................................................................................................

71

CELLULOSE ACETATE .............................................................................

74

5.2.1

Demand ..............................................................................................

74

5.2.2

Supply ................................................................................................

79

References.................................................................................................................

82

4.2

4.3
5

5.2

Appendix

Page

Nexant/ChemSystems Capital Cost Estimates.....................................................

A-1

PERP Program Title Index .....................................................................................

B-1

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Contents

Figure

Page

1.1 Effect of Capacity on Production Economics............................................................

11

1.2 Acetic Anhydride Cost Component of Flake.............................................................

12

1.3 Net Acetyl Cost Component of Flake (credit for acid by-product) ...........................

12

1.4 Acetic Anhydride Derivative Breakdown..................................................................

14

1.5 Global Acetic Anhydride Demand By Region ..........................................................

15

1.6 Regional Acetic Anhydride Capacity, Year End 2002 ..............................................

16

1.7 Acetic Anhydride Capacity by Technology, Year End 2002 ....................................

16

1.8 Cellulose Acetate Flake Consumption.......................................................................

17

1.9 Cellulose Acetate Demand by Major End Use by Region.........................................

18

2.1 Ketene Process: Acetic Anhydride from Acetic Acid ...............................................

21

2.2 Acetic Anhydride by Carbonylation of Methyl Acetate: Esterification Section .......

27

2.3 Acetic Anhydride by Carbonylation of Methyl Acetate Halcon/Eastman Process ...

30

2.4 Coal Gasification Acetic Anhydride Process..........................................................

33

2.5 Acetic Acid/Acetic Anhydride Co-production/Celanese Process..............................

35

2.6 Acetic Anhydride by Carbonylation of Methyl Acetate on Supported Catalyst .......

39

2.7 Cellulose Acetate Flake Process ................................................................................

44

3.1 BP Patent Example: Benefit of Adding Methylformate ............................................

48

4.1 Effect of Capacity on Production Economics............................................................

53

4.2 Acetic Anhydride Costs at Improved CO Yield ........................................................

57

4.3 Cash Cost Breakeven: Effect of Improved CO Efficiency ........................................

58

4.4 Cost of Production Breakeven: Effect of Improved CO Efficiency ..........................

59

4.5 Cost of Production Plus ROI Breakeven: Effect of Improved CO Efficiency ..........

59

4.6 Tow Cost of Production at Cash Cost Transfer: Effect of Integration ......................

64

4.7 Tow Cost of Production at ROI Cost Transfer: Effect of integration........................

64

4.8 Acetic Anhydride Cost Component of Flake.............................................................

66

4.9 Net Acetyl Cost Component of Flake (credit for acid by-product) ...........................

66

5.1 Acetic Anhydride Derivative Breakdown..................................................................

68

5.2 Global Acetic Anhydride Demand By Region ..........................................................

69

5.3 Regional Acetic Anhydride Capacity, Year End 2002 ..............................................

71

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5.4 Acetic Anhydride Capacity by Technology, Year End 2002 ....................................

72

5.5 Cellulose Acetate Flake Consumption.......................................................................

74

5.6 Cellulose Acetate Demand by Major End Use by Region.........................................

75

5.7 Acetate Filter Tow Demand by Region .....................................................................

77

5.8 Acetate Textile Fiber Demand by Region .................................................................

78

Table

Page

1.1 Comparison of Acetic Anhydride Production Cost at 110 KTA ...............................

10

1.2 Acetic Anhydride Demand Breakdown .....................................................................

14

2.1 Typical Specifications for Acetylation-Grade Pulp...................................................

43

4.1 Cost Of Production Estimate For: Acetic Anhydride

Process: Ketene Route ...............................................................................................

51

4.2 Cost Of Production Estimate For: Acetic Anhydride

Process: Methyl Acetate Carbonylation.....................................................................

52

4.3 Comparison of Acetic Anhydride Production Cost at 110 KTA ...............................

53

4.4 Cost Of Production Estimate For: Acetic Anhydride

Process: Methyl Acetate Carbonylation, Larger Scale ..............................................

54

4.5 Cost Of Production Estimate For: Acetic Anhydride

Process: Methyl Acetate Carbonylation from Coal ...................................................

56

4.6 Comparison of Acetic Anhydride Production Cost at 227 KTA ...............................

57

4.7 Effect of Improved CO Efficiency.............................................................................

58

4.8 Estimated Allowable Equipment Cost: Effect of Improved CO Efficiency ..............

60

4.9 Cost Of Production Estimate For: Cellulose Acetate Flake

Process: Acetylation/Hydrolysis................................................................................

61

4.10 Cost Of Production Estimate For: Cellulose Acetate Tow

Process: ......................................................................................................................

63

4.11 Acetic Anhydride Cost Comparison: Advantage of Mega-Scale ..............................

65

4.12 Major Cellulose Acetate Producer Acetic Anhydride Integration.............................

67

5.1 Acetic Anhydride Demand Breakdown .....................................................................

68

5.2 End-Use Acetic Anhydride Derivatives Regional Demand Breakdown, Expressed as

Acetic Anhydride Equivalents ...................................................................................

70

5.3 Acetic Anhydride Capacity, year end 2002 ...............................................................

73

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5.4 Global Cellulose Acetate Flake Capacity ..................................................................

79

5.5 Global Cellulose Acetate Tow Capacity....................................................................

80

5.6 Global Cellulose Acetate Yarn Capacity ...................................................................

81

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