With the expansion of South Pars gas field development and the establishment of petrochemical plants—particularly urea and ammonia units—the creation of a UFC85 and formalin production plant in this region became essential.
Considering future projects and feasibility studies, the engineering unit of Ehtemam Jam Company initiated the project to produce 80,000 tons of formalin and its derivatives annually.
To achieve this goal, a 20,000-square-meter plot of land was purchased and prepared in the northern area of Pardis Petrochemical Complex, located in Phase 1 of the Special Petrochemical Economic Zone.
After evaluating various production methods and license holders, the methanol oxidation method using iron-molybdenum catalyst and the technology of the Italian company ALDER was selected.
Accordingly, the know-how and basic design of the formalin production unit were acquired from ALDER, while the detailed design of the unit and the basic design of the off-site facilities were carried out by Iranian engineers and companies.
The project was planned to be executed in three phases:
The execution of the project began seriously in 2009. After 24 months of continuous effort by specialists, Phase 1 was commissioned in February 2012, and Phase 2 was launched in 2017 under the license of ALDER Italy by Ehtemam Jam’s engineering team.
Raw Materials: Methanol, urea, caustic soda
Production Method: In this method, methanol is preheated with excess air and then oxidized at 1100°C inside tubes in a reactor in the presence of iron-molybdenum catalyst to produce formaldehyde. The formaldehyde is then absorbed with water in a column to produce formalin. By adding a urea and caustic solution, concentrated urea formaldehyde (UFC85) can also be produced.
Applications:
Formalin (CH2O):
One of the most important industrial chemicals, formalin is used in the production of adhesives and composite materials such as urea formaldehyde resin, phenol formaldehyde resin, melamine formaldehyde resin, hexamine, pentaerythritol, and many other compounds in the automotive, textile, cellulose, fiberglass, medical, and hygiene industries.
UFC85 (Urea Formaldehyde Concentrate):
This resin contains 60% formalin and 25% urea. It is used in the production of melamine and urea formaldehyde resins, and in urea production units to increase mechanical strength and reduce the corrosiveness of urea.
