Chemicals
Petrochemicals
Technology Licensing
SYNCRA HPIB

Petrochemicals

SYNCRATM HPIB

Refineries and petrochemical complexes with butene-rich C4 streams are well-positioned to enhance their value creation by producing high-purity isobutene for advanced downstream applications. The SYNCRATM HPIB technology offers a streamlined and scalable solution for achieving exceptional purity. This enables further integration into high-performance value chains targeting sectors such as automotive, construction, and pharmaceuticals. 

SYNCRATM HPIB features the etherification of isobutene using isobutanol to form isobutyl tert-butyl ether (IBTBE). This intermediate is then subjected to distillation and ether splitting, which separates high-purity isobutene from a mixture of n-butenes and butanes, called raffinate 2. While the resulting isobutene meets stringent purity specifications required for several downstream applications, raffinate 2 can be applied in the production of isooctene and, subsequently, isononanol, building on SYNCRATM IOC and SYNCRATM Oxo-C9.

Efficient Technology Set-Up

SYNCRATM HPIB is based on a relatively small number of equipment and is optimized towards low steam consumption. Additionally, it does not require any water and, consequently, does not generate significant amounts of waste water. This results in very competitive capital and operating expenditures and an environment-friendly set-up. 

High Selectivity

Building on BASF's proprietary catalyst in the splitting reactors, SYNCRATM HPIB convinces with a limited number of side reactions. Consequently, the isobutene and overall plant yield is very high, ensuring an optimal utilization of available raw materials.  

Exceptional Product Purity

The HPIB process delivers isobutene with a purity high enough to meet the stringent requirements of advanced material applications in several downstream industries. 

Versatile Downstream Applications

High-purity isobutene resulting from the SYNCRATM HPIB process can be applied in the production of butyl rubber, methyl methacrylate (MMA) and polyisobutylene (PIB). These derivatives have variuos applications in sectors like automotive, construction and pharmaceuticals. 

Flexible Integration with Other BASF Technologies

The HPIB process can be licensed as a standalone unit or integrated with SYNCRATM IOC and SYNCRATM Oxo-C9 technologies. This modularity allows producers to tailor their value chain setup based on feedstock availability and market strategy.