Technological Capability

PrimeStar offers state-of-the-art process technology for polycarbonate grade BPA.  The process involves continuous condensation of phenol and acetone, using cation exchange resin in a fixed bed catalyst reactor. This is followed by formation of a phenol/BPA adduct crystallization to purify the product, and subsequent removal of phenol to isolate high purity BPA as the final solid product.

Our plant design for production of phenol and acetone through air oxidation of cumene employs a dry oxidation process operating at very low temperature and pressure compared to competitive designs. At low temperature there is inherent safety built in by operating far from the initiation temperature at which the intermediate cumene hydroperoxide begins to thermally decompose.

Technological advances used in our process over the years allow high yield production of phenol and acetone at ultra-high quality suitable for high-purity BPA production, while maximizing recovery of byproduct α-Methyl styrene for conversion back to cumene. 

PrimeStar provides a Process Design Package for the production of cumene by alkylation of benzene with propylene using a heterogeneous zeolite catalyst in a fixed-bed reactor The plant design includes transalkylation of the di- and triisopropyl benzene byproducts to increase high purity cumene yield.

We provide a design for Formaldehyde produced in a continuous process by the vapor phase reaction of methanol and air in a fixed bed reactor using a mixed iron and molybdenum oxide heterogeneous catalyst. The exothermic reaction of methanol and oxygen is carried out at atmospheric pressure in the range of 250 to 400°C. 

Using a methanol lean mixture with air and careful control of temperature, methanol conversions of more than 99% can be achieved. The overall plant yield of formaldehyde in the PrimeStar process is in the range of 92 to 94%. 

Because the reaction generates one mole of water for each mole of HCHO, the final product is actually an aqueous solution of formaldehyde, commonly referred to as AF, and typically produced at a formaldehyde concentration of 37% by weight, although concentrations up to the mid-50% range can be produced. 

PrimeStar has a fully developed Process Design Package for HCN production using an adaptation of the Andrussow process to form hydrogen cyanide by high temperature reaction of methane, ammonia, and oxygen over a platinum-rhodium catalyst gauze. 

The plant design consists of three major process areas: HCN Synthesis, Ammonia Recovery, and HCN Refining. 

We offer a Process Design Package for continuous production of PPS resin using a flash process design. The process reacts dichorobenzene with sodium sulfide in NMP solvent. The solvent is flashed from the polymerization product and recycled, leaving solid polymer that is water-washed, dried and pelletized. The process package includes production of sodium sulfide from hydrogen sulfide and caustic. 

PrimeStar provides a Basic Engineering Design Package for production of polyvinylidene copolymers. The process involves catalyzed copolymerization of vinylidene difluoride and hexafluoropropylene under pressure to produce multiple grades of PVDF products over a range of melt viscosities. Procedures for filtering, washing, and other finishing steps for the product copolymers are included.

We provide a Process Design Package for SEBS blocked copolymer elastomers. The process involves solution polymerization of styrene and butadiene monomers to form SBS blocked copolymer followed by hydrogenation. Hydrogenation of SBS blocked copolymers is conducted with catalysts and reaction conditions that preferentially hydrogenate the unsaturated double bonds of the conjugated diene units of styrene/butadiene blocked copolymers without significantly hydrogenating the aromatic portion of the copolymer.