In a strategic collaboration between the Ministry of Petroleum and Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Research Center of Iran (CCERCI) and on the basis of longstanding process design experience at CCERCI, an NPC (National Petrochemical Company)-supported research project has been granted to CCERCI. In this project it is aimed to develop the general knowledge and know-how for the process of catalytic conversion of propylene to three value added propylene derivatives namely acrylonitrile, acrylic acid and phenol-acetone. To do so, an ad hoc committee consisting of a number of CCERCI faculty members and specialists has been formed to direct and scrutinize the progress of the research project. In addition, the project is superintended by a steering committee of representatives from NPC and CCERCI. The project is a five-year research and at the end of phase 1, CCERCI must deliver all-round accurate process design packages for the above processes to the project client, i.e., NPC. It should be stated that CCERCI, as the principle contractor, will collaborate with local and international partners to develop the basic and detailed design of the reaction catalysts and processes. It has been also planned to establish an institution at CCERCI, under the auspices of NPC, to centralize the comprehensive research on chains of value added products from propylene.

Dr Taghikhani