Cumene

Production Plant
DHAVAL CHAUDHARY
JAI BASSI
AMLENDU KUMAWAT
AYUSH AGARWAL :P
Introduction

 Isopropylbenzene, commercially known as Cumene is a

colourless, volatile liquid with a gasoline-like odour
 Molecular Formula: C9H12
 Molar Mass: 120.20 g·mol-1
 Density: 0.862 g cm-3
 Melting Point: −96 °C
 Boiling Point: 152  °C
 Solubility: Soluble in acetone, ether, ethanol
Uses

 Cumene producers account for approximately 20% of the global

demand for benzene
 Cumene is the major source of much of the phenol and acetone
produced today
 The by-products, alpha-methyl styrene and acetophenone, are
also produced
 Cumene in minor amounts is used as a thinner for paints,
enamels and lacquers
 Cumene is also used as a solvent for fats and raisins
Production

 Cumene is made by alkylkating benzene with propylene using zeolite

catalyst. Following three major processes are available:
 Catalytic Distillation Technology: The process uses a specially
formulated zeolite alkylation catalyst in a proprietary catalytic distillation
(CD) process and a trans-alkylator reactor using zeolite catalyst. In CD
column combines both reaction and fractionation takes place
 Liquid Phase Q-max Process: In this process, cumene is produced by
liquid phase alkylation of benzene with propylene in presence of a zeolite
catalyst
 Cumene by Mobil Badger Process: The process produces cumene
from benzene and any grade of propylene using a new generation of
zeolite catalysts from Exxon m Mobil. The process includes a fixed bed
alkylation reactor and a fixed bed trans-alkylation reactor and distillation
section.
Flowsheet
Market Scenario

 The Global Cumene market was valued at $15.4 Billion in 2012, and is
projected to reach $24.1 Billion by 2018, at a CAGR of 6.7%.
 12.4 MT of cumene was consumed globally in 2012, and this demand
is expected to reach 17 MT by 2018, at an estimated CAGR of about
5.1%, for the given period.
 Key Players: BASF SE, BP PLC (U.S), Total S.A., Exxonmobil Corp, The
Dow Chemical Company, CPCC, CNPC, JX Nippon Oil and Energy
Group, Royal Dutch Shell PLC and SABIC
 Drivers and Challenges:
 Growing Demand for Phenol
 Volatile crude prices
 Increasing demand and capacity in China