Braskem's BRK Green Ethanol-to-Ethylene Plant at Triunfo RS, Brazil Facility | Credit: Braskem

We have published a comprehensive technical assessment of Braskem's ethanol-to-ethylene technology—the world's first industrial-scale ethanol dehydration plant in operation since 2010 at Braskem's Triunfo RS facility in Brazil.

TECHNOLOGY EVOLUTION (2007-2025):
🔹 2010: 200,000 t/y ethylene plant startup at Triunfo, Brazil ($290M investment)
🔹 2013: Proprietary ion exchange purification patent (WO2014127436A1) solving catalyst poisoning from fuel-grade ethanol impurities
🔹 2025: Latest reactor optimization patent (US20250034062A1) eliminating idle catalyst zones
🔹 2025: Exclusive global licensing partnership with Lummus Technology

PROCESS INNOVATION HIGHLIGHTS:
✔️ Catalyst system: γ-Al₂O₃ alumina achieving >99% conversion & selectivity with 5+ year campaigns
✔️ Operating conditions: 360-470°C, WHSV 1.0-1.3/h, ≥90% catalytic-active zones
✔️ Feedstock flexibility: Accepts hydrous (93%) or anhydrous (>99.3%) bioethanol after purification
✔️ Economic optimization: Single-stage vs. multi-stage compression (major CAPEX/OPEX advantage)

COMMERCIAL STATUS:
📍 Triunfo plant: 260,000 t/y capacity, 99.95% ethylene purity, feeding I'm green™ bio-PE production
📍 Thailand project: FEED awarded to Toyo Engineering (Nov 2024)—first licensed deployment

The assessment includes detailed reactor configurations, catalyst chemistry, operating parameters, and equipment lists based on Braskem's two core patents and UFRJ academic research.

Keeping data free, sharing expertise—information from experts for experts.

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