SABIC and The Linde Group announce first successful commercialisation
of
Linear Alpha Olefins (LAO)
Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) and German-based The Linde Group announced today the first successful commercialisation of Linear Alpha Olefins (LAO), using a-SABLIN® technology developed jointly by SABIC and Linde.
Discussions began in 1998 between SABIC and Linde for the development of technologies and plant capacity to produce LAO. In July 2004 SABIC’s manufacturing affiliate Jubail United Petrochemical Company (UNITED) awarded the contract to Linde for engineering, procurement and construction of the 150,000-metric-tons-per-year plant at Jubail on the Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia.
The UNITED project was carried out by Linde’s subsidiary, Linde-KCA-Dresden GmbH, Germany, in close cooperation with Linde Engineering in Pullach, Germany and SABIC’s Technology and Innovation
organization.
A performance test run proved the commercial capability of the facility in May 2009 and UNITED accepted the results in July 2009.
“This first commercialisation of LAOs at Jubail is very much in keeping with SABIC’s continuous search for innovative technologies that can be employed to bring new and better product solutions to the marketplace,” said Dr Abdulrahman Al-Ubaid, SABIC’s Vice-President Technology and Innovation.
"The commercialisation of this technology is a big success for SABIC and Linde by entering new market segments. The a SABLIN® process is the first and only commercially proven LAO technology which is available for licensing to third parties," said Dr Markus Raab, Managing Director of Linde's Engineering Division.
The a-SABLIN® manufacturing process uses ethylene as a feedstock for a one-stage homogeneous reaction that produces a full range of high-purity LAOs.
LAOs have a large variety of applications, such as light-cut production of Butene-1, Hexene-1 and Octene-1 used in the growing polyethylene market. Medium cuts such as Decene-1, Dodecene-1 and Tetradecene-1 are used for synthetic oils, detergents and shampoos. Heavy cuts are used in lube oil additives, surfactants, oil field chemicals and wax product applications.
About SABIC: SABIC ranks among the world’s top five producers of commodity chemicals and plastics, and is a major global developer and supplier of thermoplastics engineered to meet customer needs. Additionally, SABIC has operations in steel production and fertilizers, and increasing brand presence in high-value performance
chemicals.
SABIC recorded a net profit of SR 22 billion (US $ 5.86 billion) in 2008. Sales revenues for 2008 totaled SR 151 billion (US $ 40.2 billion). Total assets stood at SR 272 billion (US $ 72.5 billion) at the end of 2008.
SABIC has significant research resources with 15 dedicated Research and Technology and application centers in the Middle East, the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. The company operates in more than 40 countries with 33,000 employees worldwide.
The company has over 60 world-class manufacturing and compounding plants in locations across the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the
Americas.
Headquartered in Riyadh, SABIC was founded in 1976 when the Saudi Arabian Government decided to use the hydrocarbon gases associated with its oil production as the principal feedstock for production of chemicals, polymers and fertilizers. The Saudi Arabian Government owns 70 percent of SABIC shares with the remaining 30 percent held by private investors in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
About Linde: The Linde Group is a world leading gases and engineering company with almost 50,000 employees working in around 100 countries worldwide. In the 2008 financial year it achieved sales of EUR 12.7 billion. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards sustainable earnings-based growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services. Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment - in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.
For more information, see The Linde Group online at http://www.linde.com
Linde-KCA-Dresden GmbH, a subsidiary in The Linde Group, is a leading company involved in the planning and construction of chemical, gas, biotechnology and pharmaceutical plants.
For more information, please see Linde-KCA online at http://www.linde-kca.com
More information: www.linde-engineering.com
Posted: November 25, 2009
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