Nanotechnology to make giant petrochemical furnaces more efficient

31-Aug-09

A new technology has been unveiled to make giant petrochemical furnaces more efficient. A nanotechnology-based coatings created at Quantiam Technologies can significantly reduce energy and maintenance costs at plants producing olefins--the largest group of worldwide petrochemicals. It also reduces greenhouse gas emissions. After eight years and US$17 million involved in taking it from the lab through pilot projects at plants such as Nova Chemicals' Joffre operation, Quantiam is ready to build a US$2mln, 35,000 sq ft manufacturing plant in Edmonton. "Now we are ready to make the big jump from a 15-employee company to providing a significant number of high-value jobs in Edmonton. And we expect to double capacity in two years," Petrone says. The olefin industry, which produces such things as plastics, antifreeze and lubricants, is by far the biggest industrial energy user, Petrone says. "It takes 3 bln gigajoules of energy to produce 1.25 mln tpa of olefins, and each ton of olefins produces a ton of CO2. The coatings allow the furnaces to work at a 50-degree-lower temperature, which is a huge saving.The amount of carbon created in the process is also drastically cut, meaning fewer greenhouse gases are emitted. Wear and corrosion is reduced to the point where maintenance shutdowns at olefin plants need occur only every two years instead of every month. And when plants lose $100,000 - $500,000 a day during shutdowns, depending on their size, that's also a big deal. Petrone sees the wear and corrosion properties being attractive to the oilsands industry, with its high production maintenance costs. Now the technology is proven, the cost of actually coating the inside of pipes is quite cheap, he says.