Clariant upgrades syngas catalyst portfolio

Clariant, a specialty chemicals company focused on sustainability, announces the successful market launch of its new Plus Series syngas catalysts.

Over the past five years, the company has upgraded its syngas catalyst portfolio with the launch of the ReforMax LDP Plus, ShiftMax 217 Plus and AmoMax 10 Plus catalysts. The new catalysts build on their well-known predecessors and are designed as plug-and-play solutions to improve plant economics and reduce carbon emissions. These benefits have now been proven in commercial applications with very favorable results.

"The transformation to decarbonize the chemical and energy industry is a long journey, and every ton of CO2 saved is critical to reaching our ultimate net-zero emissions goal. This is exactly why we developed our Syngas Plus catalysts, and this is what they do: drop-in solutions that improve the efficiency and sustainability of existing assets and facilitate the deployment of new applications such as low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia. These innovative catalysts are the latest example of Clariant's commitment to driving the world towards sustainable chemicals and fuels," said Georg Anfang, Vice President Syngas & Fuels at Clariant's Catalysts business.

The ReforMax LDP Plus series is a new generation of steam reforming catalysts for the production of hydrogen, ammonia and methanol. Due to its flower-like 8-hole shape, the catalyst reduces the pressure drop in the reactor by up to 20% compared to previous catalyst shapes.

Overall, the ReforMax LDP Plus catalysts are already in use in more than 40 production plants worldwide, contributing to increased plant productivity.

The low-temperature water-gas shift catalyst ShiftMax 217 Plus has the high activity and stability of its predecessor, but with significantly improved selectivity. This reduces the formation of methanol, which is not only an undesirable byproduct but also a regulated volatile organic compound (VOC).

AmoMax 10 Plus represents a new era for Clariant's wustite catalysts for ammonia synthesis. Based on the industry-proven AmoMax 10, the new version features an improved promoter package, increased catalyst activity and resistance to catalyst poisoning, as well as faster catalyst start-up.