New Report Launch: Global Polyolefins Technology Report - 2022

Polyethylene and polypropylene are the most common polyolefins and are used globally in a wide range of market segments, including packaging, consumer products, agriculture, pipe and conduit, storage containers, building and construction, and automotive.

Three primary forces drive technology development in polyolefins: product performance (improved properties, new applications), process technology (increased plant scale, simplified design), and process chemistry (new catalysts, increased yield).

NexantECA’s new Global Polyolefins Technology Report 2022 provides an updated overview of the technological and economic aspects of the processes used to produce low density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP), covering more than 30 technologies in a single report.

The report covers all major licensed technologies as well as technologies that are not licensed but are important to the polyolefins industry.  Profiles, covering recent developments, background (including lists plants employing the technology), and process description, are presented for technologies developed by:

• LDPE – Tubular – ExxonMobil, LyondellBasell, SABIC, Versalis

• LDPE – Autoclave – ExxonMobil, ECI Group/Repsol, LyondellBasell, Versalis

• LLDPE (Dedicated and Swing) – Gas Phase – INEOS, LyondellBasell, Mitsui, Univation

• LLDPE (Dedicated and Swing) – Solution – Borealis, Dow, NOVA

• HDPE (Dedicated) – Ziegler Slurry – LyondellBasell, Mitsui

• HDPE (Dedicated and Swing) – Slurry Loop – Borealis, Chevron Phillips, INEOS

• HDPE (Dedicated and Swing) – Gas Phase – LyondellBasell, Univation

• Polypropylene – Gas Phase – Grace, INEOS, Japan Polypropylene, Lummus Novolen Technology, LyondellBasell, Sumitomo, W. R. Grace

• Polypropylene – Bulk – Borealis, ExxonMobil, LyondellBasell, Mitsui

Detailed cost of production estimates are developed on a 1Q22 basis for plants located in the United States Gulf Coast (USGC), coastal China, and the Middle East for various technologies for the following resin types:

• LDPE – homopolymer LDPE, EVA (18% VA), EVA (28% VA)

• LLDPE – conventional LLDPE film (butene-1, hexene-1, octene-1), second generation (metallocene/single site and easy processing) LLDPE film (butene-1, hexene-1, octene-1)

• HDPE – homopolymer injection molding grade, copolymer bimodal film grade, copolymer bimodal pipe grade

• Polypropylene – homopolymer injection molding grade, impact copolymer automotive grade