Vietnamese plastics manufacturer taps into Honeywell technology

Phu My Plastics Production JSC will use Honeywell technology to produce propylene

On March 12, 2019, Honeywell (NYSE: HON) announced that Phu My Plastics Production JSC will use Honeywell UOP’s C₃ Oleflex™ technology to produce 306,000 metric tonnes of polymer-grade propylene per year at its facility in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, Vietnam. The plant will help meet growing domestic demand for plastics in Vietnam and other countries in Southeast Asia. This is the first award for a propane dehydrogenation technology in Vietnam.

Honeywell UOP will provide technology licensing for the Oleflex process, the process design package, proprietary and non-proprietary equipment, on-site operator training, technical services for startup and continuing operation, and proprietary catalysts and adsorbents.

Honeywell UOP’s C₃ Oleflex technology uses catalytic dehydrogenation to convert propane to propylene. It is designed to have a lower cash cost of production and higher return on investment compared with competing technologies. The technology’s independent reaction and regeneration sections enable steady-state operations, improved operating flexibility, and high on-stream reliability.

“This Oleflex unit will use low-priced and widely available propane to make propylene, which can be made into polypropylene, one of the most important materials for making plastics,” said Jose Miramontes, regional general manager of Honeywell UOP Asia-Pacific. “This new capacity will enable Vietnam to meet its own rapidly growing domestic demand for plastics, supplanting propylene products that it currently imports.”

Honeywell UOP, a leading technology provider for the oil and gas industry, also licenses C₄ Oleflex technology, which converts butanes to butylenes, the primary ingredient for making high-octane fuel additives and synthetic rubber. Including this project, Honeywell UOP’s Oleflex technology has been selected for the majority of propane and isobutane dehydrogenation projects awarded globally since 2011.

Since the technology was first commercialised in 1990, Honeywell UOP has commissioned 30 Oleflex units for on-purpose propylene and isobutylene production. Global production capacity of propylene from Oleflex technology now stands at more than 7.3 million metric tonnes per year.

Phu My Plastics Production JSC is mainly engaged in the manufacturing and sale of plastic packaging. The company's leading products include laminated polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) bags, flexible intermediate bulk containers (FIBCs), as well as woven PP sheets, among others. These products are consumed in Vietnam and exported to overseas markets, including Brazil, France, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.

Honeywell UOP is a leading international supplier and licensor of process technology, catalysts, adsorbents, equipment, and consulting services to the petroleum refining, petrochemical, and gas processing industries.

It is a Fortune 100 technology company that delivers industry-specific solutions that include aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings and industry; and performance materials globally. Its technologies help everything from aircraft, buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable.