INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION, INPORTANCE AND USES OF STYRENE MONOMER

The increasing use of styrene, for the production of thermOplastics and rubbers, has given a special importance to this vital materialin petrochemical industries. More than 95 per cent of styrene production in the world is by dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene. Present styrene production units are basically designed on the basis of 1940s units. Producing countries and related research centres have tried to use specific conditions and catalysts in order to get better conversion.
In this report, the importance, uses, technical problems in production methods
and the new pilot plant results are evaluated. In order to erect a new styrene
production unit with 200,000 tons capacity in a year, the calculated investment
required are about 24 million dollars in 1987.
Comparing this new method with similar present units there is 25 per cent
saving in steam and fuel requirements.