New propylene production technologies hold great promise Oil and Gas Journal, 23 February 2004, 102(8) p.

New process technologies for propylene production show great economic promise, according to a new report from Nexant Inc., White Plains, NY. The recently published report predicts that propylene demand will grow faster than supply. More than 25% of the new crackers currently planned for start-up in 2003-06 are based on ethane and will therefore produce little propylene.
On-purpose propane dehydrogenation (PDH) technology produces propylene, but this route generally requires favorable feedstock pricing to be competitive; the amount of propylene produced is small compared to other sources. The report stated that new routes to propylene or propylene 'add-on' processes to existing technologies are needed to satisfy the shortfall in demand from existing plants and process routes.