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IHS CHEMICAL

Polypropylene Impact
Copolymer
Process Economics Program Consolidated Report CR006

December 2016, revised June 2017 IHS.com

PEP Consolidated Report CR006

Polypropylene Impact Copolymer

Marianne Asaro
Sr. Principal Analyst

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IHS Chemical | PEP Consolidated Report CR006 Polypropylene Impact Copolymer

PEP Consolidated Report CR006

Polypropylene Impact Copolymer
Marianne Asaro, Sr. Principal Analyst

Abstract

This report consolidates and updates the IHS Chemical Process Economics Program’s technical and
economic analyses of propylene impact copolymer manufacturing technologies from 2010 to the present.
The current global production of over 75 million metric tons polypropylene (PP) per year is forecast to
increase by about 19–20% over the next four to five years. Braskem, LyondellBasell, and ExxonMobil are
the main producers of PP in the Americas. Total is the largest producer of PP in Europe, and Reliance
produces similar quantities of PP in India. Sinopec (China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation) is by far
the leading producer of PP in Asia. Modern world-scale PP plants operate with single train capacities of
about 250,000 to 500,000 tons per year.

Development of Ziegler-Natta catalysts in the 1950s and beyond enabled commercial production of
stereoregular, isotactic polypropylene that is lightweight, thermoplastic, and has relatively high tensile
strength, rigidity, and melting point. When a comonomer such as ethylene is included in the
polymerization process, very high toughness and resistance to impact can be achieved. Polypropylene
impact copolymers are used in diverse applications including automotive parts, pipe applications,
household and food containers, toys, and appliance parts. The technologies and economics involved in
producing ethylene-propylene impact copolymers are the subject of this report.

The PP processes are differentiated most by the phase of the polymerization reaction medium and the
reactor design. Impact copolymer is produced in two chemical steps in two or more reactors. A matrix of
PP homopolymer is prepared and then treated with ethylene and more propylene to provide a copolymer
having elastomeric regimes within the PP matrix. Often the same Ziegler-Natta catalyst can be used for
both chemical steps. Ziegler-Natta catalyst system compositions vary but have similar features in the
different processes. Metallocene catalysts are also used, to make a small percentage of commercial
ethylene-propylene copolymer having specialized properties.

Technical descriptions and economic analysis are provided herein for the following processes:

• The UNIPOL® process of W. R. Grace, using fluidized-bed, gas-phase technology,

• The Novolen® process of CB&I, using vertical stirred-bed, gas-phase technology,

• The Innovene™ process of INEOS, using horizontal stirred-bed, gas-phase technology,

• The Innovene process of INEOS with INstage H2-control technology,

• The Spherizone™ process of LyondellBasell, using multizone circulating-bed, gas-phase, and fluidized-
bed technology, and

• The Spheripol™ process of LyondellBasell, using bulk slurry-phase and fluidized-bed technology.

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IHS Chemical | PEP Consolidated Report CR006 Polypropylene Impact Copolymer

Production of polypropylene impact copolymer is reviewed, with characterization of the patent portfolios
for these six technologies and all other commercial PP processes over the past decade. Full patent reviews
are provided for both Ziegler-Natta and metallocene catalyst systems. The industry status is updated, and
a summary of the modern processes is provided in terms of comparative economics and the key process
indicators (KPI) of capital intensity, energy intensity, carbon efficiency, and carbon intensity. Lastly, an
interactive module is included—the iPEP™ Navigator Polypropylene tool—that provides a snapshot of
economics for each process and allows the user to select the process, units, and region of interest.

While the processes presented herein represent the IHS Chemical Process Economic Program (PEP’s)
independent interpretation of the literature and may not reflect in whole or in part the actual plant
configurations, we do believe that the conceptual designs sufficiently representative of plant
configurations to enable Class III economic evaluations.

© 2016 IHS 2 December 2016 (revised June 2017)

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IHS Chemical | PEP Consolidated Report CR006 Polypropylene Impact Copolymer

Contents

1 Introduction 14
2 Summary 16
Technology overview 16
Chemistry and catalysis 16
Product properties 16
Processes for PP production 17
Commercial status 18
Polypropylene impact copolymer technologies 18
The UNIPOL process 19
The Novolen process 21
The Innovene process 24
The Spherizone process 24
The Spheripol process 25
Process economics 26
Key process indicators 33
3 Industry status 38
Demand and market drivers 39
Current producers and plant capacities 40
Product price 43
4 Technology review 45
Polypropylene reaction chemistry and structure 45
Polypropylene products and properties 48
Homopolymers and random copolymers 48
Heterophasic polypropylene (polypropylene impact copolymer) 49
Ziegler-Natta catalysts 49
First- and second-generation catalysts 50
Third-generation catalysts 51
Fourth-generation catalysts 51
Fifth-generation catalysts 53
Sixth-generation catalysts 56
Ziegler-Natta catalyst patent review (10+ year timeframe) 56
LyondellBasell 57
Dow Chemical, W.R. Grace 62
CB&I Novolen 65
INEOS 66
Sumitomo 67
Sinopec 69
ExxonMobil 72
Borealis 73
Other companies 75
Single-site catalysts 76
Challenges to implementation of metallocene-based polypropylene 77
Single-site catalyst patent review (10-year timeframe) 79
Japan Polypropylene 81
Borealis 82
ExxonMobil 85
Mitsui Chemical/Prime Polymer 90
IHS™ CHEMICAL Idemitsu 91
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IHS Chemical | PEP Consolidated Report CR006 Polypropylene Impact Copolymer

Fina94
Others 96
Polypropylene process technology 97
Gas-phase process technology 99
Grace UNIPOL polypropylene process 99
Sumitomo Chemical polypropylene process 101
CB&I Novolen Process 101
INEOS Innovene™ polypropylene process 103
Japan Polypropylene Corporation (Chisso) Horizone polypropylene process 105
LyondellBasell Spherizone™ polypropylene process 106
Bulk slurry process technology 108
LyondellBasell Spheripol polypropylene process 109
Mitsui Chemicals Hypol II polypropylene process 111
ExxonMobil polypropylene process 113
Borealis Borstar polypropylene process 114
Polypropylene process technology patent review (10-year timeframe) 115
Dow, Grace—UNIPOL 115
Sumitomo Chemical 117
Novolen 117
Innovene 118
Japan Polypropylene—Horizone 119
Basell, LyondellBasell—Spherizone 120
Basell, LyondellBasell—Spheripol 120
ExxonMobil 122
Borealis 123
Sinopec 124
Fina125
Other companies 126
Properties and applications of Ziegler-Natta propylene copolymer—patent review (10-year
timeframe) 126
Dow, Grace 126
Basell, LyondellBasell 127
Novolen 130
Borealis 131
Sumitomo Chemical 135
Sinopec 137
Fina138
Additional companies 139
Properties and applications of metallocene propylene copolymers—patent review (10-year
timeframe) 140
Japan Polypropylene Corporation 140
Fina142
Total 143
Sumitomo 144
ExxonMobil 145
Mitsui 148
Borealis 149
LG Chem 151
Idemitsu 152
5 Propylene impact copolymer by the Grace UNIPOL PP process 154
Process description 154
Section 100—Polymerization 155
Section 200—Resin degassing and vent recovery 156
Section 300—Product finishing and bagging 156
Process discussion 160

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IHS Chemical | PEP Consolidated Report CR006 Polypropylene Impact Copolymer

Cost estimates 161

Fixed capital costs 161
Production costs 162
Integration with a petrochemical complex 163
6 Propylene impact copolymer by the CB&I Novolen® PP process 169
Process description 169
Section 100—Polymerization 169
Section 200—Product finishing and bagging 170
Process discussion 176
Cost estimates 176
Fixed capital costs 177
Production costs 178
Integration with a petrochemical complex 178
7 Propylene impact copolymer by the INEOS Innovene™ PP process 184
Process description of Innovene 184
Section 100—Polymerization 185
Section 200—Product finishing and bagging 186
Process discussion 191
Cost estimates 192
Fixed capital costs 192
Innovene 192
Innovene with INstage 193
Production costs 193
Integration with a petrochemical complex 194
8 Propylene impact copolymer by the LyondellBasell Spherizone™ PP process 204
Process description 204
Section 100—Polymerization 204
Section 200—Product finishing and bagging 206
Process discussion 213
Cost estimates 214
Fixed capital costs 214
Production costs 215
Integration with a petrochemical complex 216
9 Propylene impact copolymer by the LyondellBasell Spheripol™ PP process 222
Process description 222
Section 100—Polymerization 223
Section 200—Product finishing and bagging 224
Process discussion 230
Cost estimates 231
Fixed capital costs 231
Production costs 232
Integration with a petrochemical complex 233
Appendix A—Design and cost bases 239
Design conditions 240
Cost bases 240
Capital investment 240
Production costs 241
Effect of operating level on production costs 241
Appendix B—References by document number 243
Appendix C—Patent summaries by assignee 278
Appendix D—Process flow diagrams 435
Appendix E—iPEP Navigator for polypropylene 447

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IHS Chemical | PEP Consolidated Report CR006 Polypropylene Impact Copolymer

Tables
Table 2.1 Summary of process technologies for polypropylene impact copolymer 22
Table 2.2 Polypropylene technologies—Total capital investment 29
Table 2.3 Polypropylene technologies—Production costs 31
Table 2.4 Definitions of key process indicators 34
Table 2.5 Key process indicators 35
Table 3.1 Leading commercial PP processes (May 2016) 38
Table 3.2 Largest volume PP producers 41
Table 3.3 PP plants of ≥400 ktpy single train capacity 42
Table 3.4 Single-site catalysts/metallocene technology for PP 43
Table 4.1 Progress in Ziegler-Natta catalysts 50
Table 4.2 Effect of different mixtures of SCAs on the maximum bed temperature during a
simulated power outage 63
Table 4.3 Approximate number of single-site polypropylene patents by company, 2005–Q12016 80
Table 4.4 Typical operating conditions for different polypropylene processes 99
Table 4.5 Product capability of the Spheripol process by reactor configuration 109
Table 5.1 Propylene impact copolymer production by the UNIPOL process—Design bases and
assumptions 155
Table 5.2 Propylene impact copolymer production by the UNIPOL process—Stream flows 157
Table 5.3 Propylene impact copolymer production by the UNIPOL process—Summary of waste
streams 158
Table 5.4 Propylene impact copolymer production by the UNIPOL process—Major equipment 159
Table 5.5 Propylene impact copolymer production by the UNIPOL process—Utilities summary 160
Table 5.6 Propylene impact copolymer production by the UNIPOL process—Total capital
investment 164
Table 5.7 Propylene impact copolymer production by the UNIPOL process—Capital investment
by section 165
Table 5.8 Propylene impact copolymer production by the UNIPOL process—Production costs 166
Table 6.1 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Novolen process—Design bases and
assumptions 171
Table 6.2 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Novolen process—Stream flows 172
Table 6.3 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Novolen process—Summary of waste
streams 173
Table 6.4 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Novolen process—Major equipment 174
Table 6.5 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Novolen process—Utilities summary 176
Table 6.6 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Novolen process—Total capital
investment 179
Table 6.7 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Novolen process—Capital investment
by section 180
Table 6.8 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Novolen process—Production costs 181
Table 7.1 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Innovene process (with or without
INstage)—Design bases and assumptions 187
Table 7.2 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Innovene process (with or without
INstage)—Stream flows 188
Table 7.3 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Innovene process (with or without
INstage)—Waste streams 189
Table 7.4 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Innovene process (with and without
INstage)—Major equipment** 189
Table 7.5 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Innovene process (no INstage)—Utilities
summary 191
Table 7.5A Propylene impact copolymer production by the Innovene process with INstage—
Utilities summary 191
Table 7.6 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Innovene process (no INstage)—Total
capital investment 195
Table 7.7 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Innovene process (no INstage)—Capital
investment by section 196

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IHS Chemical | PEP Consolidated Report CR006 Polypropylene Impact Copolymer

Table 7.6A Propylene impact copolymer production by the Innovene process (with INstage)—
Total capital investment 197
Table 7.7A Propylene impact copolymer production by the Innovene process (with INstage)—
Capital investment by section 198
Table 7.8 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Innovene process (no INstage)—
Production costs 199
Table 7.8A Propylene impact copolymer production by the Innovene process (with INstage)—
Production costs 201
Table 8.1 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Spherizone process—Design bases and
assumptions 207
Table 8.2 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Spherizone process—Stream flows 208
Table 8.3 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Spherizone process—Summary of
waste streams 210
Table 8.4 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Spherizone process—Major equipment 211
Table 8.5 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Spherizone process—Utilities summary 213
Table 8.6 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Spherizone process—Total capital
investment 217
Table 8.7 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Spherizone process—Capital
investment by section 218
Table 8.8 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Spherizone process—Production costs 219
Table 9.1 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Spheripol process—Design bases and
assumptions 225
Table 9.2 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Spheripol process—Stream flows 226
Table 9.3 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Spheripol process—Summary of waste
streams 227
Table 9.4 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Spheripol process—Major equipment 228
Table 9.5 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Spheripol process—Utilities summary 230
Table 9.6 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Spheripol process—Total capital
investment 234
Table 9.7 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Spheripol process—Capital investment
by section 235
Table 9.8 Propylene impact copolymer production by the Spheripol process—Production costs 236

Figures
Figure 2.1 Block flow diagrams of processes for polypropylene impact copolymer production
(licensor) 20
Figure 2.2 Factors of production for polypropylene processes 28
Figure 2.3 Market prices for polypropylene and propylene in recent years 33
Figure 2.4 Key process indicators 35
Figure 2.5 CO2 footprint breakdown 37
Figure 3.1 Supply and demand of PP by year 39
Figure 3.2 World capacity for PP by region 43
Figure 3.3 Price of PP, North America 44
Figure 4.1 Atactic, isotactic, and syndiotactic polypropylene structures 47
Figure 4.2 Structures of representative internal and external electron donors in fourth-generation
catalysts 53
Figure 4.3 Structure of representative internal electron donors used in fifth-generation catalysts 54
Figure 4.4 Behavior of third-, fourth-, and fifth-generation Ziegler-Natta catalysts in gas-phase
reactors 56
Figure 4.5 Structures of succinate and sulfone electron donors 59
Figure 4.6 Two nonphthalate internal electron donors used together (WO 2012017040) 60
Figure 4.7 Structure of an ester-carbonate internal electron donor (EP 2636687) 60
Figure 4.8 Examples of aromatic nonphthalate internal donors (WO 2013174759/WO
2013057026) 61

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IHS Chemical | PEP Consolidated Report CR006 Polypropylene Impact Copolymer

Figure 4.9 Structure of silyl diol ester internal electron donor (US 2010130709) 63
Figure 4.10 Preferred structures of phosphorus oxygenates used as ED or SCA (WO
2010078330) 63
Figure 4.11 Structure of substituted 1,2-phenylene aromatic diester internal electron donor (WO
2010078480) 64
Figure 4.12 Alkoxyalkyl ester and alkoxyalkyl 2-propenoate nonphthalate internal electron donors
(WO 2012087536) 64
Figure 4.13 Cycloheptapolyenedicarboxylic diester internal electron donor (US 2011269927) 68
Figure 4.14 The succinic acid diester internal electron donor diethyl 2-cyclohexyl-3-isopropyl-2-
cyanosuccinate (CN 102372651) 71
Figure 4.15 Bis(2-ethylhexyl)citraconate electron donor (EP 2960256) 74
Figure 4.16 Structures of indene and a representative stereospecific metallocene catalyst
component 77
Figure 4.17 Structures of novel single-site catalysts from JPP 81
Figure 4.18 Symmetrical substituted metallocene structures (WO 2014096282) 83
Figure 4.19 Fluorenyl-based metallocene catalysts (JP 2009114249/ US 2010004384) 91
Figure 4.20 ansa-Metallocene catalysts of LG Chemical (EP 3045478/ KR 2016069251) 93
Figure 4.21 Examples of Novolen’s substituted, bridged metallocene structures (US 7285608) 94
Figure 4.22 UNIPOL PP gas-phase PP process for impact copolymer production 100
Figure 4.23 Sumitomo Chemical gas-phase PP process for impact copolymer production 101
Figure 4.24 Novolen gas-phase PP process for impact copolymer production 102
Figure 4.25 Innovene gas-phase PP process for impact copolymer production 104
Figure 4.26 Product features available using the Innovene PP process with and without INstage
technology 105
Figure 4.27 JPP Horizone gas-phase PP process for impact copolymer production 106
Figure 4.28 Spherizone gas-phase PP process for impact copolymer production 107
Figure 4.29 Expanded product properties capability with the Spherizone process 108
Figure 4.30 Spheripol bulk slurry-phase PP process for impact copolymer production 110
Figure 4.31 Spheripol fluidized-bed reactor for impact copolymer production (WO 2007071527) 111
Figure 4.32 Mitsui Hypol II process for impact copolymer production 112
Figure 4.33 ExxonMobil bulk slurry-phase PP process for impact copolymer production 113
Figure 4.34 Borealis bulk slurry-phase PP process for impact copolymer production 114
Figure 5.2 Production cost of polypropylene impact copolymer via the UNIPOL process as a
function of plant operating level and plant capacity 168
Figure 6.2 Production cost of polypropylene impact copolymer via the Novolen process as a
function of plant operating level and plant capacity 183
Figure 7.2 Production cost of polypropylene impact copolymer via the Innovene process as a
function of plant operating level and plant capacity 203
Figure 8.2 Production cost of polypropylene impact copolymer via the Spherizone process as a
function of plant operating level and plant capacity 221
Figure 9.2 Production cost of polypropylene impact copolymer via the Spheripol process as a
function of plant operating level and plant capacity 238
Figure 5.1 Propylene impact copolymer production by a gas-phase process similar to the
UNIPOL™ PP process (page 1 of 3) 436
Figure 5.1 Propylene impact copolymer production by a gas-phase process similar to the
UNIPOL™ PP process (page 2 of 3) 437
Figure 5.1 Propylene impact copolymer production by a gas-phase process similar to the
UNIPOL™ PP process (page 3 of 3) 438
Figure 6.1 Propylene impact copolymer production by a gas-phase process similar to the
Novolen™ PP process (page 1 of 2) 439
Figure 6.1 Propylene impact copolymer production by a gas-phase process similar to the
Novolen™ PP process (page 2 of 2) 440
Figure 7.1 Propylene impact copolymer production by a horizontal stirred-bed, gas-phase process
similar to the Innovene™ PP process, with INstage (page 1 of 2) 441
Figure 7.1 Propylene impact copolymer production by a horizontal stirred-bed, gas-phase process
similar to the Innovene™ PP process, with INstage (page 2 of 2) 442
Figure 8.1 Propylene impact copolymer production by a gas-phase process similar to the
Spherizone™ PP process (page 1 of 2) 443
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IHS Chemical | PEP Consolidated Report CR006 Polypropylene Impact Copolymer

Figure 8.1 Propylene impact copolymer production by a gas-phase process similar to the
Spherizone™ PP process (page 2 of 2) 444
Figure 9.1 Propylene impact copolymer production by a bulk polymerization process similar to the
Spheripol™ PP process (page 1 of 2) 445
Figure 9.1 Propylene impact copolymer production by a bulk polymerization process similar to the
Spheripol™ PP process (page 2 of 2) 446

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