- Markets
- Services
- Technologies
- Projects
- About KBR
- Corporate Information
- Leadership
- Thought Leadership
- Business Units
- Subsidiary Operations
- Global Presence
- Newsroom
- Investors
- Social Responsibility
- Careers
Advanced TransAlkylation (ATA)
ATA (Advanced TransAlkylation) is best-in-class transalkylation catalyst technology to convert low value-added volatile elements such as Toluene, C9+Aromatics to basic emulsion raw material called Xylene, which can be widely used for synthetic fabrics and solvent. ATA catalyst has wide range of feedstock flexibility for Toluene and C9+ aromatics and more than 6 years of long catalyst life. It can also enhance productivity such as higher yield and lower operating cost due to strong catalyst activity and lower temperature reaction.These advantages have placed ATA into market leader position and ATA has got patent in four countries including Korean and US. One of user has reported to gain more than $17MM of annual revenue increase together with substantial energy saving after applying ATA Technologies.
The ATA (Advanced Trans-Akylation) process uses best-in-class transalkylation catalyst technology to convert toluene and low-value heavy aromatics to benzene and mixed xylenes. BTX (Benzene, Toluene and Xylene) is an important raw material in the petrochemcal industry. Market demand for benzene and xylene is strong and growing, while toluene is always in surplus. C9+ aromatics can be upgraded to xylene and benzene by transalkylating with excess toluene. ATA transalkylation offers customers the most cost-effective technology for increasing xylene and benzene yields.
ATA is typically integrated with a PX (para-xylene) plant, located near the benzene/toluene fractionation unit and heavy aromatics column. ATA receives heavy aromatics (C9 and C10) and toluene in any mix from 100% aromatics to 100% toluene and yields benzene and mixed xylenes as products. Benzene and unconverted toluene are sent back to the benzene/toluene fractionation unit, while mixed-xylenes are fed to the para-xylene plant. The core reactions in the process are catalytic conversions using proprietary catalysts from SK.
