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International PVC industry energy study
Author(s) -
Stern Kenneth M.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
journal of vinyl technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.295
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1548-0585
pISSN - 0193-7197
DOI - 10.1002/vnl.730010404
Subject(s) - plasticizer , adipate , polyvinyl chloride , vinyl chloride , chemistry , food packaging , materials science , chemical engineering , organic chemistry , polymer chemistry , food science , copolymer , polymer , engineering
This report presents the results of a study of energy consumption in the production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in Italy, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Comparative data on energy consumption have been assembled, and a series of recommendations for R&D work related to the efficient use of energy in the chemical industry has been developed. This study forms part of the Industrial International Data Base Project, itself a subproject of the NATO/CCMS Rational Use of Energy Program. The comparative energy‐consumption data assembled during this study include the energy requirements for all process steps needed to transform raw materials into PVC. This includes production of crude oil (or natural gas), naphtha (or ethane), and ethylene; mining of rock salt; production of chlorine; synthesis of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM); and polymerization of VCM to PVC. A range of 67 to 83 GJ/metric ton of PVC (including feedstock energy) was found for the participating nations, with the United Kingdom and The Netherlands lowest and the United States highest. A list of five R&D topics was developed: (A) Cooperation between the steel and chemical industries in the use of blast furnace gas and coke oven gas; (B) Optimum use of gas turbines in chemical operations; (C) Use of fuel cells in chemical operations; (D) Reduction of mercury loss in chlorine—caustic production; and (E) Use of coal as feedstock.