Main-Product

Product Models
Insights
Solutions
Product
Styrene
Segment
Chemicals
Main-Family
Unsaturated Monomers
Sub-Family
Aromatic Olefins
Link
Insight Articles
#PS9

Description

Styrene (C6H5CH=CH2; phenylethylene, vinylbenzene, styrene monomer) is the common name given to the simplest and most important member of the unsaturated aromatic monomers family, which is a colorless oily liquid.

It is a very important chemical, which is mostly used to produce polystyrene converted into daily-use plastic materials and items such as toys, jars, bottles, serving dishes, cups, corks, etc., as well as a foam precursor for insulation and cushioning operations.

Styrene is obtained at commercial scale through several production processes, among which the most important ones are:

  • Catalytic dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene at high temperature (630 °C) using various metal oxides as catalysts, such as zinc, chromium or magnesium oxides coated on activated carbon, alumina or bauxite.

  • Ethylbenzene oxidation to obtain the hydroperoxide, which then reacts with propylene to give phenylmethylcarbinol (or methylbenzylalcohol) and propylene oxide. The alcohol obtained is then dehydrated to styrene at relatively low temperatures (180 to 400 °C) by using an acidic silica gel (SiO2) or titanium dioxide (TiO2) catalyst.

 

Source: Amaury Pérez-Sánchez et al., 28th Apr 2017, Simulation of the styrene production process via catalytic dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene using CHEMCAD® process simulator, Tecnura, vol. 21, no. 53, pp. 15-31, 2017.

Please login/register for full access
Insight Articles
Your insights will be shown here
Products Picture
https://www.linkedin.com/in/baouch-zakarya/
  Product Communicator
 (*=Default)
Product Title Date
  UserPic *Styrene Description of styrene updated. 10/25/2024
  UserPic *Styrene Styrene Specific Gravity 9/26/2021
Settings
Status
A
Unit of Measure
Metric tonne (1,000 kg)
Physical State

Liquid

Building Block / Value Chain Info
Value Chain-I
Benzene
Value Chain-II
Ethylene
Content provided by
Transaction Name Date
Modified by UserPic  Kokel, Nicolas 12/8/2024 8:02 PM
Added 2/15/2021 12:11 PM
Map of Styrene Products producing locations in ppPLUS
ppPLUS Insights: Please register to view the Map!
Production Analysis
Global Production