Oxy Petrochemicals, Inc.

Year Submitted: 2003

Process: Butadiene Production

Industry: Chemical Manufacturing

Wastes Reduced: Process Chemicals

Substance: Tars & Dimers

Location: Corpus Christi, Nueces County TX

No. of employees: 310

Contact: Michael Mudrock

Phone: (512) 242-8098

Description:

The Tar/Dimer stream is a normal by-product stream of the butadiene process at OxyChem's Corpus Christi facility. This stream was classified as a hazardous waste. It was originally burned in the butadiene unit boiler per the facility's operating permit or transported off-site (via truck) to an environmentally approved alternative fuel blending program. The waste stream was evaluated and determined to have increased beneficial use as feedstock to the facility's olefins unit and as heavy fuel oil product.

P2 Application:

A critical technical analysis of this waste stream was conducted. OxyChem determined that increased value and beneficial use could be made of the waste stream. The required equipment was designed, procured, and installed to separate and recover these materials in 3 months. The dimer now is utilized as furnace feedstock to produce olefins and the tar is sold as a heavy fuel oil.

Environmental Benefits:

Eliminated the Dimer/Tar waste stream at the facility. Increased the beneficial value of both the dimer and tar.

Details of Reductions

Additional Information :

A new product and revenue stream for the OxyChem Corpus Christi facility was provided. Return on investment: 36%.

Source: TCEQ