Batangas State University - College of Engineering

Petrochemical Industry

• The petrochemical industry plays a crucial role in the global economy, supplying essential components for 95% of all manufactured products.
• The production process is energy-intensive and generates a considerable amount of greenhouse gases.
• The industry is shifting towards sustainability, aiming for climate neutrality, circularity, and digitalization.

Petrochemicals

• Petrochemicals are organic compounds sourced from petroleum-based materials (naphtha) or natural gas, or derivatives created through chemical reactions.
• Examples of petrochemicals include ammonia, carbon black, and various organic chemicals.
• Progress in chemistry relies on substances like ethylene, propylene, butadiene, and benzene.

Importance of Petrochemicals

• The petrochemical sector is a strategic part of the economy, driving industrial development and having substantial multiplier effects on other key economic sectors.
• The main industry association in the petrochemicals sector is the Association of Petrochemical Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (APMP).

Raw Materials and Feedstocks

• A feedstock is a raw material used to create useful products in an industrial process.
• Natural gas and crude distillates, like naphtha from petroleum refining, serve as feedstocks to produce a wide range of petrochemicals.

Examples of Petrochemical Plants

• Ethylene plants produce ethylene, a crucial component for various plastics and chemicals.
• Methanol plants produce methanol, a versatile chemical used in numerous applications, including as a solvent, fuel, and feedstock for other chemicals.
• Polyethylene plants produce polyethylene, a widely used plastic.

Key Products from Petrochemicals

• Olefins (Alkenes): unsaturated hydrocarbons characterized by one or more carbon-carbon double bonds.
• Aromatics: cyclic hydrocarbons with alternating single and double bonds.
• Synthetic Gas (Syngas): a mixture of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2), produced through processes like steam methane reforming.

Applications of Petrochemicals

• Packaging: petrochemical packaging involves the use of materials derived from petrochemicals for packaging applications.

• Electronics: petrochemicals are used in the production of electronic devices, such as smartphones, laptops, and gaming systems.

• Construction: petrochemicals are used in the production of strong, affordable, and energy-saving materials for building and construction.

• Automotive: petrochemicals are used in the production of fuels, lubricants, and plastics for the automotive industry.

• Medical: petrochemicals are used in the production of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and water filtration systems.### Petrochemical Industry

• Petrochemicals are obtained from fossil fuels, such as natural gas and crude oil, with the remaining energy supplied by coal and biomass.

• The petrochemical plant is the powerhouse that converts natural resources into petrochemicals, which are used as building blocks for other processes and products.

• There are five steps in the petrochemical processing sequence:

  • Feedstocks: Unprocessed materials used in a manufacturing process as a base material to be transformed into another end product. Examples include natural gas, ethane, propane, and butane.
  • Basic Chemicals: Larger molecules are broken down into smaller, more usable ones through a process known as "cracking". Examples include ethylene, propylene, and butylene.
  • Chemical Derivatives: More complex versions of primary petrochemicals, which are used as feedstocks for a wide range of downstream chemical manufacturing processes. Examples include styrene, ethylene glycol, and isobutylene.
  • Manufacturing Products: Petrochemicals are further processed and combined to create a vast array of final consumer and industrial products, including plastics, synthetic fibers, paints, and pharmaceuticals.
  • Consumer Products: The final petrochemical-derived products are distributed to end-users and incorporated into everyday items, such as clothing, packaging, and toiletries.

Impact of Petrochemical Industries

• Economic Impact:
  • Contributes to a country's economic growth
  • Major contributor to a country's GDP
  • Job creation
• Environmental Impact:
  • Climate change due to greenhouse gas emissions
  • Air pollution from refineries
  • Toxic waste generation
  • Water pollution from untreated industrial waste and oil spills
  • Soil contamination from pipeline and storage tank leakages
  • Resource depletion

Mitigating Measures

• Stricter regulations and compliance
• Adapting sustainable practices
• Offering training programs for employees

Vegetable Oil and Biofuels Industry

• Vegetable oils are derived from the seeds or other parts of fruits and consist of mixtures of triglycerides.
• Brief history of vegetable oil production:
  • Ancient Egypt: Olive oil was used for cooking, lighting, and cosmetics
  • 18th century: Advancements in understanding the chemistry of fats and oils
  • 19th and 20th centuries: Rise of large-scale industrial production of vegetable oils
• Global edible oil industry:
  • Valued at approximately $91.4 billion USD in 2017
  • Production increase of 125% between 2000 and 2020
  • Main oilseeds produced globally: soybeans, sunflower, rapeseed, cottonseed, and groundnut
• Palm oil:
  • Holds the largest global market share among vegetable oils
  • Versatile and used in various industries, including food, cosmetics, and biofuels### Vegetable Oil Industry
• Palm oil holds the largest market share among vegetable oils due to its versatility and use in various industries such as food, cosmetics, and biofuels.
• Between 2000 and 2020, vegetable oil production rose by 125%, largely due to significant growth in palm oil production.
• Soybeans are the most produced oilseed globally, making up over 50% of total oilseed production.

Leading Players in Vegetable Oil Market in the Philippines

• Figure 1.1 shows the list of leading companies in the vegetable oil market in the Philippines.

Economic Impact of Vegetable Oil Industry

• The vegetable oil industry plays a crucial role in the economies of producing countries by driving export revenues.
• It creates jobs across agriculture, processing, and distribution sectors.
• The industry significantly influences global trade, with key exporters such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and the United States leading the market.

Biofuels

• Biofuels are renewable energy sources made from biological materials like algae, animal waste, and plants.
• They provide an alternative to fossil fuels for heating, power generation, and transportation.
• Biofuels can lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduce reliance on limited fossil fuel resources.

Brief History of Biofuels

• Biofuels have been around for millennia, with ancient civilizations using vegetable oils for lamps.
• The industrial revolution led to an increase in energy demand, and biofuels gained traction as an alternative to limited coal resources.
• The 20th century saw fluctuations in biofuel interest, but modern advancements in biofuel technology have improved efficiency and opened doors for new biofuel types.

Biofuels Industry

• Production in the biofuels industry has grown significantly over recent decades, making it a crucial component of the renewable energy sector.
• The industry includes various types of biofuels, such as ethanol, biodiesel, and advanced biofuels, which are produced from different feedstocks using diverse technological processes.

List of Biofuels in the Philippines

• Figure 1.2 shows the list of biodiesel producers in the Philippines based on the Department of Energy.

Key Aspects of the Biofuels Industry

• Feedstock: Biofuels are derived from various organic materials like energy crops, waste biomass, and algae.
• Types of Biofuels:
  • Ethanol: a renewable fuel made by fermenting plant sugars and starches.
  • Biodiesel: a cleaner-burning alternative to petroleum-based diesel fuel.
  • Renewable Hydrocarbon “Drop-In” Fuels: advanced biofuels that can replace petroleum products in existing infrastructure.

Economic Impact of Biofuels Industry

• Job Creation: Provides employment in agriculture, processing plants, research, and logistics.
• Rural Development: Brings economic benefits to rural areas involved in cultivating feedstock and producing biofuels.
• Energy Security: Reduces reliance on imported fossil fuels, enhancing national energy independence.
• Export Opportunities: Allows biofuel-producing countries to export surplus production, impacting global trade dynamics.

Environmental Impact of Biofuels Industry

• Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Can significantly reduce emissions compared to fossil fuels, depending on the feedstock and production methods used.
• Land Use and Deforestation: Growing biofuel crops may cause land use changes, biodiversity loss, and deforestation.
• Water Usage: Some biofuel crops require large amounts of water, raising concerns about water resource management.
• Soil Health: Sustainable practices can improve soil quality, while poor practices may cause soil degradation.

Vegetable Oils

• Vegetable oil, any of various fatty oils derived from vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruits, and cereal grains.
• These are primarily composed of triglycerides and are typically liquid at room temperature.

Structure of Vegetable Oils

• Triglycerides contain a three-carbon backbone with three long chain fatty acids attached through ester linkages.
• Figure 2.1 shows a triglyceride, overall unsaturated, with the glycerol "backbone" on the left, and saturated palmitic acid, monounsaturated oleic acid, and polyunsaturated alpha-linolenic acid.

Fatty Acids in Vegetable Oils

• Vegetable oils are primarily composed of triglycerides and contain a greater variety of fatty acids compared to animal fats.
• The specific fatty acid composition varies between different oils.
• Table 2.1 shows the composition percentage of fatty acids present in samples of vegetable oils.

Biofuel Conversion

• Biofuel conversion is the process of breaking down biomass feedstocks into simpler compounds that can be processed into liquid transportation fuels like ethanol and biodiesel.
• There are two main approaches to biofuel conversion: thermochemical and biochemical.

Thermochemical Conversion

• Uses heat and limited oxygen to break down biomass.
• Methods include:
  • Gasification: converts biomass into synthesis gas, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide that can be further processed into fuels.
  • Pyrolysis: uses moderate temperatures (500-800°C) in the absence of oxygen to produce bio-oil, which can be upgraded into hydrocarbon fuels.
  • Hydrothermal liquefaction: uses high heat and pressure to convert wet biomass like algae directly into bio-crude oil.

Biochemical Conversion

• Uses enzymes or microorganisms to break down the cellulose and hemicellulose in biomass.
• Methods include:
  • Fermentation: uses these biological processes to break down the sugars in biomass into ethanol.
  • Anaerobic digestion: uses bacteria to break down organic matter in the absence of oxygen, producing biogas that can be upgraded to methane or other fuels.

Production of Vegetable Oils and Biofuels

• The production of vegetable oil begins with raw material preparation, followed by extraction, filtration, refining, and packaging.
• The production of biofuels involves feedstock preparation, pretreatment, conversion, separation and purification, byproduct treatment, and storage & distribution.

Process Flow Diagram

• Figure 3.1 shows a process flow chart of the refining process of crude vegetable oil.
• The generalized biofuel production process flow diagram involves feedstock preparation, pretreatment, conversion, separation and purification, byproduct treatment, and storage & distribution.