Propane dehydrogenation: solving the propylene production puzzle with reliable valves

Propylene is the second most valuable intermediate in the petrochemical industry after ethylene. Are you able to keep your production of propylene up at the right levels to meet increasing global demand? It may be that your propylene production is compromised by an inefficient process. How can better valves help you boost your production and reduce cost?

Different applications require different valve features

Breakthroughs in valve design have made major recent contributions to improving the efficiency levels in a PDH process. With the right valves, this efficiency is available now for the production of polymer-grade propylene without a steam cracker or fluid catalytic cracking unit.

What’s key for this particular application is to make sure that valves you choose offer efficient recovery, while guaranteeing safety under all circumstances.

If you’re uncertain about selecting the correct dryer switching valves for your unit, consider solutions capable of tolerating fluctuations in temperature while keeping bi-directional tightness over a period of several years of operation.

If choosing reactor depressurizing valves are a concern, search from solutions with extremely fast operation – a primary requirement for this function, as they must open instantly at over-pressurization. Also robust stem packing is a must to prevent any leaks that cause loss of product and safety issues.

Expert support for careful selection

The list of valves for a PDH process is lengthy, including many process- and safety-critical valve types. Paying careful attention to the details of valve selection matters more than you might think.

Professional expert support is helpful and cost effective to achieve both high efficiency in the recovery process and utmost safety with such toxic and flammable substances.

We have extensive experience in providing guidance for reliable and lasting valve operations that improve your level of control over the PDH process, increasing product yield and profit. We can show you how to set up predictive maintenance planning and reach plant uptime targets with online diagnostic capabilities. Plus, we can help you select the right valves for each part of the process that provide you with reliable and long-lasting operation.Based on our international field-proven track record, we can support you in meeting noise, emission and fire safety regulations set by local authorities. And you can count on our expertise to get the highest safety and availability for each emergency shutdown valve within your plant. This will give you a lasting satisfaction that you’ve solved the propane dehydrogenation puzzle with reliable valves in the smartest, fastest way.

Text by Ville Kähkönen. For additional information, please contact lindsay.coutinho@valmet.com.

The text has been up-dated in April 2022, due to company name change to Valmet.