{"organism":"Page","children":[{"organism":"Container.Raw","children":[{"organism":"Metadata","color":"brand1-solid","model":{"title":"Ethylene Oxide/Ethylene Glycol (EO/EG) Process Technology | Shell Catalysts & Technologies","text":"\u003Cp\u003EShell Catalysts & Technologies offers an extensive range of EO catalysts to enable operators to increase production while maintaining selectivity.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n","links":[{"name":"Ethylene Oxide/Ethylene Glycol (EO/EG) Process Technology | Shell Catalysts & Technologies","value":"https://www.shell.com/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/licensed-technologies/petrochemicals/ethylene-oxide-production.html"}],"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.com/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/licensed-technologies/petrochemicals/ethylene-oxide-production/_jcr_content/root/metadata.shellimg.jpeg/1709756109881/eo-eg-chemicals-employee-working-at-the-nanhai-petrochemical-facility-promo.jpeg","alt":"Ethylene oxide production employees working at the Nanhai facility","width":1876,"height":1056}},"id":"/content/shell/corporate/global/en_gb/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/licensed-technologies/petrochemicals/ethylene-oxide-production/jcr_content/root/metadata"},{"organism":"ContentOwner","color":"brand1-solid","model":{},"id":"/content/shell/corporate/global/en_gb/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/licensed-technologies/petrochemicals/ethylene-oxide-production/jcr_content/root/contentowner"},{"organism":"Container.Header","children":[{"organism":"Container.Raw","ref":"https://www.shell.com/_jcr_content/root/header/inherited.model.json","id":"/content/shell/corporate/global/en_gb/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/licensed-technologies/petrochemicals/ethylene-oxide-production/jcr_content/root/header/inherited","model":{}},{"organism":"Breadcrumb","model":{"links":[{"name":"Home","value":"https://www.shell.com/"},{"name":"Business customers","value":"https://www.shell.com/business-customers.html"},{"name":"Shell Catalysts & Technologies","value":"https://www.shell.com/business-customers/catalysts-technologies.html"},{"name":"Licensed Technologies","value":"https://www.shell.com/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/licensed-technologies.html"},{"name":"Petrochemical Technologies","value":"https://www.shell.com/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/licensed-technologies/petrochemicals.html"},{"name":"Ethylene Oxide/Ethylene Glycol (EO/EG) Process Technology","value":"https://www.shell.com/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/licensed-technologies/petrochemicals/ethylene-oxide-production.html"}]},"id":"/content/shell/corporate/global/en_gb/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/licensed-technologies/petrochemicals/ethylene-oxide-production/jcr_content/root/header/breadcrumb"}],"id":"/content/shell/corporate/global/en_gb/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/licensed-technologies/petrochemicals/ethylene-oxide-production/jcr_content/root/header","model":{}},{"organism":"Container.Main","children":[{"organism":"Container.Section","children":[{"organism":"Container.Gapless","color":"inherited","children":[{"organism":"PageHeader","color":"brand2","model":{"title":"Ethylene Oxide/Ethylene Glycol (EO/EG) Process Technology","text":"\u003Cp\u003EEO/EG manufacturing processes have been optimised to take advantage of the latest catalyst performance enhancements. These developments help to increase yields, reduce the energy consumption and other running costs and reduce the capital expenditure of new plants as well as enabling plant de-bottlenecks and revamps.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n"},"id":"/content/shell/corporate/global/en_gb/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/licensed-technologies/petrochemicals/ethylene-oxide-production/jcr_content/root/main/section/simple/item"}],"id":"/content/shell/corporate/global/en_gb/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/licensed-technologies/petrochemicals/ethylene-oxide-production/jcr_content/root/main/section/simple","model":{}},{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/corporate/global/en_gb/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/licensed-technologies/petrochemicals/ethylene-oxide-production/jcr_content/root/main/section/section_header_copy","model":{"text":"\u003Ch2\u003EPushing the limits of selectivity.\u003C/h2\u003E"}},{"organism":"StandaloneAsset","color":"inherited","colspan":4,"id":"/content/shell/corporate/global/en_gb/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/licensed-technologies/petrochemicals/ethylene-oxide-production/jcr_content/root/main/section/standalone_asset_cop","model":{"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.com/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/licensed-technologies/petrochemicals/ethylene-oxide-production/_jcr_content/root/main/section/standalone_asset_cop.shellimg.jpeg/1709668940564/eo-eg-two-shell-employees-look-at-samples-at-the-geismar-chemical-plant-in-louisiana.jpeg","alt":"Shell employees look at ethylene oxide production samples","width":3651,"height":2054}}},{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","colspan":8,"id":"/content/shell/corporate/global/en_gb/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/licensed-technologies/petrochemicals/ethylene-oxide-production/jcr_content/root/main/section/text_1712224345_copy","model":{"text":"\u003Cp\u003EIn the early days of EO production, the typical start-of-cycle selectivity for the conversion of ethylene to EO by \u003Ca href=\"https://www.shell.com/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/catalysts/petrochemical-catalysts/ethylene-oxide-catalysts.html\" target=\"_self\"\u003EEO catalysts\u003C/a\u003E ranged from 68 to 70%. Shell innovations in 1971 increased catalyst selectivity to 80% which was interpreted to be its theoretical limits by industry experts. Shell continues to prove them wrong. In 1986, Shell made a discovery in EO catalyst technology that significantly changed the industry. As a result, it was able to offer new catalysts to the market: High Selectivity (HS) catalysts. This discovery increased initial selectivity values by more than six percentage points to enable many operators to achieve start-of-cycle selectivity values of 86% or greater. The impact of this selectivity increase was huge, as it could save customers millions of dollars in ethylene feedstock costs.\u003Cbr\u003E\r\n\u003C/p\u003E\r\n"}},{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/corporate/global/en_gb/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/licensed-technologies/petrochemicals/ethylene-oxide-production/jcr_content/root/main/section/section_header","model":{"text":"\u003Ch2\u003EImproving Performance with two Ethylene Oxide/Ethylene Glycol Process Technologies\u003C/h2\u003E"}},{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/corporate/global/en_gb/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/licensed-technologies/petrochemicals/ethylene-oxide-production/jcr_content/root/main/section/text_copy","model":{"text":"\r\n\u003Cp\u003EShell Catalysts & Technologies is the market’s leading EO/EG process licensor and EO catalyst producer, and a pioneer in the industry. For more than 50 years, we have led the industry in improving the performance and lifespan of \u003Ca href=\"https://www.shell.com/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/catalysts/petrochemical-catalysts/ethylene-oxide-catalysts.html\" target=\"_self\"\u003EEO catalysts\u003C/a\u003E. Over 50% of the world’s current EO production is manufactured using a Shell EO catalyst.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003EUsing Shell EO/EG technology, refiners and petrochemical producers can:\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\u003Cli\u003EOptimise technology configuration to meet local market conditions\u003C/li\u003E\r\n\u003Cli\u003EAchieve a fast and smooth start-up\u003Cbr\u003E\r\n\u003C/li\u003E\r\n\u003Cli\u003EMinimise the production of heavy-glycol by-products if desired\u003Cbr\u003E\r\n\u003C/li\u003E\r\n\u003C/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETwo versions of the Shell Catalysts & Technologies EO/EG process are licensed:\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\u003Cli\u003Ethe \u003Ca href=\"https://www.shell.com/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/licensed-technologies/petrochemicals/ethylene-oxide-production/eo-eg-process.html\" target=\"_self\"\u003EShell MASTER process\u003C/a\u003E, which is based on catalyst conversion of ethylene to EO and thermal conversion of EO to EG; and\u003C/li\u003E\r\n\u003Cli\u003Ethe \u003Ca href=\"https://www.shell.com/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/licensed-technologies/petrochemicals/ethylene-oxide-production/omega-process.html\" target=\"_self\"\u003EShell OMEGA process\u003C/a\u003E, which is based on catalyst conversion of both ethylene to EO and EO to EG.\u003Cbr\u003E\r\n\u003C/li\u003E\r\n\u003C/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBoth the Shell MASTER process and the \u003Ca href=\"https://www.shell.com/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/licensed-technologies/petrochemicals/ethylene-oxide-production/omega-process.html\" target=\"_self\"\u003EShell OMEGA process\u003C/a\u003E are based on and optimised around the use of state-of-the-art Shell EO catalysts with high selectivity and high stability that has enabled many operators to achieve at least three years of operation between catalyst changes at an average catalyst selectivity of about 90%.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs every plant is tailor-made and tuned to customer wishes and local conditions and constraints, capital investment costs will vary from plant to plant. After plant start-up, Shell Catalysts & Technologies will continue to provide operational support. Process design studies relating to plant modifications or de-bottlenecking can also be accommodated.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\r\n"}},{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/corporate/global/en_gb/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/licensed-technologies/petrochemicals/ethylene-oxide-production/jcr_content/root/main/section/section_header_1653147513","model":{"text":"\u003Ch2\u003EEnhancing the EO/EG Manufacturing Process.\u003C/h2\u003E"}},{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/corporate/global/en_gb/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/licensed-technologies/petrochemicals/ethylene-oxide-production/jcr_content/root/main/section/text_20417443_copy","model":{"text":"\u003Cp\u003EProducing EO over a catalyst is the first step in the overall EO/EG manufacturing process. In the reaction section, EO is produced by catalysed, direct partial oxidation of ethylene. Additionally, a portion of the ethylene fully oxidises to form CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C/sub\u003E and water. These reactions take place in an isothermal (tubular) reactor at temperatures of 230–270°C. The reaction is moderated/optimised using an organic chloride. EO is recovered from the reactor product gas by absorption in water. Co-produced CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C/sub\u003E and water are removed, and, after the addition of fresh ethylene and oxygen, the gas mixture is returned to the EO reactor as feed. The EO–water mixture can be routed to a purification section for recovery of high-purity EO and/or to a reaction section where EO and water are converted into glycols.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the standard thermal glycol reaction process, EO and water are reacted at an elevated temperature (about 200°C) and pressure without catalyst. This process typically yields about 90–92% monoethylene glycol (MEG) and 8–10% heavier glycol products, mainly diethylene glycol (DEG) and triethylene glycol (TEG). The proportion of the higher glycols is limited by using excess water to minimise the reaction between the EO and glycols. The resultant water–glycol mixture from the reactor is then fed to multiple evaporators where the excess water is recovered and largely recycled. Finally, the water-free glycol mixture is separated by distillation into MEG and the higher glycols.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA more modern technology is to react EO with CO\u003Csub\u003E2\u003C/sub\u003E to form ethylene carbonate (EC) and subsequently react the EC with water to form MEG, both reactions being catalysed. In this two-step process, most of the MEG forms in an EO-free environment, which minimises the co-production of heavier glycols and results in a MEG yield of more than 99%.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n"}}],"id":"/content/shell/corporate/global/en_gb/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/licensed-technologies/petrochemicals/ethylene-oxide-production/jcr_content/root/main/section","model":{}},{"organism":"Container.Section","children":[{"organism":"PromoFull","color":"brand1-solid","id":"/content/shell/corporate/global/en_gb/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/licensed-technologies/petrochemicals/ethylene-oxide-production/jcr_content/root/main/section_1138830839_c/promo","model":{"title":"On-demand webinar: Navigating the challenging glycol market","text":"\u003Cp\u003EStream the on-demand webinar to see how we outline short-, medium- and long-term solutions, by profiling real-world case studies that demonstrate how EO/EG plant operators can manage turndown by utilising strategies for extremely low work rates, select the best catalyst by using detailed value-analysis tools, and more.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\r\n","links":[{"name":"Watch now","value":"https://catalysts.shell.com/en/navigating-the-challenging-glycol-market-on-demand"}],"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.com/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/licensed-technologies/petrochemicals/ethylene-oxide-production/_jcr_content/root/main/section_1138830839_c/promo.shellimg.png/1711007070286/shell-energy-and-chemicals-park-rhineland-germany.png","alt":"Webinar: Navigating the challenging glycol 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","value":"https://catalysts.shell.com/en/ethylene-oxide-ethylene-glycol-production-white-paper"}],"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.com/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/licensed-technologies/petrochemicals/ethylene-oxide-production/_jcr_content/root/main/section_742928113/simple/promo_copy_130577462.shellimg.jpeg/1709756110163/enhancement-in-eo-eg-production-white-paper.jpeg","alt":"Worker smiling on site","width":6673,"height":3759}}},{"organism":"PromoCard","color":"brand2","colspan":4,"id":"/content/shell/corporate/global/en_gb/business-customers/catalysts-technologies/licensed-technologies/petrochemicals/ethylene-oxide-production/jcr_content/root/main/section_742928113/simple/promo_copy_130577462_483636963","model":{"title":"Petrochemical Technologies","text":"\u003Cp\u003EEO/EG catalysts, production facility technology, C4/C5, hydrogenation units allow operators to further improve petrochemical plant efficiency and 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