“Kommercheskiye Vesti”: The AO “Omsky kauchuk” plant: modernization of the future

Today there are more than 300 chemical establishments which provide jobs for about 15,000 people. The AO “Omsky kauchuk” plant is one of the largest in Omsk region. 3,000 people work at the plant, many families are associated with the history of the plant, and the city itself is inextricably connected with this petrochemical giant. The industrial complex is widely known in many regions of the country: title products of the AO “Omsky kauchuk” (MTBE, methylstyrene synthetic rubbers and phenol) cover more than 20% of the domestic market. Moreover these products are supplied to dozens of countries around the world.  The AO GC Titan including this plant, is investing billions in the modernization of the key enterprise. Today we are going to tell you about the manner the plant has changed in recent years and what projects are being implemented at the production site.

Phenol, acetone and isopropyl alcohol: how can they be useful?

Nowadays, the plant’s biggest project is modernization of the organic synthesis production. The project began with the renovation of phenol and acetone production. The revamp project of cumene (isopropylbenzene) production with isopropyl alcohol production unit is related to the main project as well.

Isopropyl alcohol is a valuable product used in chemical, petrochemical, timber, perfumery and medical industries. It is also used in chemistry, oil extraction industry, as well as in paint-coating production, and in wood processing it is used as a multifunctional solvent. It is widely used in medicine, perfumery and cosmetics.

We should note that isopropanol antiseptic effect is stronger than ethanol antiseptic effect, and World Health Organization (WHO) has included this substance in antiseptic formulas. That is why isopropyl alcohol is in demand during the pandemic. Moreover, it is used in automotive chemicals production - in release of brake fluid, as an antifreeze component, in windshield washer fluid. Such efficient products are harmless for a human and do not damage automobile coating and parts.  Among other things, the generated product - isopropanol - will be used for the production of automotive chemicals at the “Titan-SM”, LLC (a part of the AO GC Titan). Such products are more environmentally friendly since they do not contain methyl alcohol – one of the most toxic substances.

Isopropyl alcohol production capacity is about 60,000 tons per year. The technology provides minimal effluent and impact on the environment.  High-quality alcohol produced with modern foreign technology contains minimum number of additives.

Besides, the renovation of cumene production at the AO “Omsky kauchuk” plant is underway. The new isopropylbenzene production technology is designed using the best available technologies.

“The AO GC Titan will produce cumene using the new technology with zeolite catalysts. Thus, we will reduce our environmental impact by more than ten times due to process waste and by-products reducing and excluding process effluent. The AO GC Titan will produce isopropyl alcohol in a more efficient way by acetone hydrogenation as the best foreign similar goods are produced. This project is aimed at economic and export potential improvement of Omsk region,” Farhad SAMEDOV, General Director of the AO GC Titan said.

An interesting fact is that about 70% of the project equipment is produced in Russia. Heat exchangers, columns, basins and some compressors are manufactured at the leading machine-building enterprises in Yekaterinburg, St. Petersburg, Penza, Saratov, Izhevsk and other cities. There are also Omsk companies among the enterprise’s partners, particularly suppliers of ventilation equipment. Steel equipment including gate valves, valves, taps, pipe parts, instrumentation, cabling and wiring products are also produced domestically.

How to derive clean air formula

The AO “Omsky kauchuk” plans to launch the new ethyl tert-butyl ether production. The new fuel additive will improve environmental specifications of gasolines and particularly reduce harmful emissions into the atmosphere by up to 40 percent. According to experts, the component will reduce automotive emissions by 2-2,5 billion tons in the Russian Federation.  The project is also supposed to save natural gas (467 million m³) and oil (1,5 million tons) by replacing methanol with ethanol of plant origin. 

“Many companies are claiming electric-powered vehicles, but for Russia such a conversion, such infrastructure will take a decent amount of time. I believe our product will have a positive impact on the environment we all live in”, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the AO GC Titan Mikhail SUTYAGINSKY noted.

Modernization of existing processes

In addition to global expensive and large-scale projects the company is implementing stage by stage a program on processes optimization and equipment replacement. Thus, the AO “Omsky kauchuk” has recently revamped the flare. A new pull head has been installed, which is designed for safer, smokeless combustion. The system is equipped with modern monitoring and emergency shut-down systems. The flare is equipped as well with an automatic ignition device and a flame-out sensor ensuring high security level. Flaring systems are an integral part of any modern refinery or petrochemical complex.

Engineers of the methyl tert-butyl ether production department have developed a system that allows up to 90 tons of hydrocarbon gases to be returned to production. The new technology makes it possible not only to save raw materials, but also to reduce the negative impact on the environment. Previously, these exhaust gases were burned in a flare unit. Now due to this new technology isobutane is returned back into the manufacturing process.  A steel pipeline has been built to implement the scheme.

Another improvement is the new compressor unit which makes hydrocarbons discharge more environmentally friendly. The use of this module has speeded up the discharge of gases from tank cars; reduced raw material losses due to the complete selection of gas residues; improved working conditions for the workers involved in discharging operations. 

“The unit allows to condense gases produced generated while squeezing products out of tanks and turn them back into liquid eliminating vapor formation. While discharging we will stop using nitrogen and decrease its flowrate. We can save our resources this way,” as it was explained in the workshop for receiving, storing and shipping the AO “Omsky kauchuk” raw materials and market products.

The butadiene recovery column has been installed at the plant as well.  The new equipment will replace an old column in one of the workshops for the methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) production.

“The column without a base is 48 m high, the total height is 56 m, and 3.4 m in diameter,” Head of the methyl tert-butyl ether production workshop Igor POYARKOV said. “The massive unit includes six sections with more than 20 tones weight per section.

The column was customized in parts in the Republic of Bashkortostan. It includes valve trays - contact devices where heat and mass transfer between liquid and gaseous media takes place.

"Improvements in small steps."
Meanwhile the employees of the AO “Omsky kauchuk” may suggest their own improvement ideas for modernization. The AO GC Titan has the "Improvement in Small Steps" streamlining program. The program involves projects with a period of 3-6 months and cost up to 100 thousand rubles.  Workers, process engineers, and shop managers are the authors of the ideas. Dozens of ideas have already been approved; the best ones are rewarded. Ideas are registered in the Unified Fund. Thus, if the idea is implemented successfully the author may get 4% of revenue. In the future, it is expected that the experience gained at the AO “Omsky kauchuk” will be replicated at all enterprises of the AO GC Titan.

The development of enterprises is possible only with support 

Today, investments, state support and qualified personnel are the basis for successful operation of any large enterprise. However, industrialists are sure, in order to modernize the processes it is necessary to unite the industry specialists and support the scientific community.

“The economic and industrial development of Omsk region and the Russian Federation is impossible without the synergy of science, education and business. In July, the research conference devoted to low-tonnage chemistry development was held with the support of the regional government. As a result, a list of pulling projects in the field of low-tonnage chemistry has been formed. Delovaya Rossiya Chemical Industry Committee, chaired by me, has sent these projects to the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade for further elaboration. Similar strategic projects lists could be formed in other industries as well,” Mikhail SUTYAGINSKY said.

Therefore, specialists of the chemical sector are sure it is important to implement advanced technologies and institutional developments to support the industry, as well as to attract the most qualified specialists with secondary and higher education.

Source: 28.10.2021, “Kommercheskiye Vesti”.

28 октября 2021

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