Published October 2012
This report follows a series of Process Economics Program reports on the topic of oxo alcohols. The last report on the subject was PEP 21E, Oxo Alcohols, published in September 2010.
This report covers the BASF design concept for hydroformylation of raffinate II C4 olefin feedstock for the production of n-valeraldehyde. The intermediate n-valeraldehyde is used for the production of 2-propylheptanol by BASF aldol condensation and hydrogenation (based on patents of Mitsubishi and Hoechst). The intermediate n-valeraldehyde is also used for the by-product production of amyl alcohol.
The main focus of this report is evaluating the technoeconomics of the following three process routes: (1) the production of n-valeraldehyde at a base case capacity of 260 million lb/yr; (2) the production of 2-propylheptanol, at a base case capacity of 188 million lb/yr; (3) the by-product production of amyl alcohol via direct hydrogenation of n-valeraldehyde, at a base case capacity of 59 million lb/yr. We determine the total capital investment and product value for a plant constructed in the US Gulf Coast region.
