4. Case studies

4.1 Ammoxidation of propane and propene to acrylic acid or acrylonitrile

Around 5 million tons/year (2004) of acrylonitrile (ACN) are produced worldwide from propene, with a growth rate of 4% per year, and some fifty plants manufacture it using the SOHIO process (now BP America). ACN is used for 43% of acrylic fiber synthesis (and must therefore be over 99.4% pure), 14% for ABS/SAN fibers, 3% for rubber and the remainder in numerous specialty products.

Prior to 1960, the raw material for the IG-Farben process was acetylene, or ethylene epoxide, which...