Engineering and technologies

Polyester (PET)

Zimmer: the leading brand in polymers technology

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Technip is a world leader in project management, engineering and construction for the oil and gas industry.

With a global footprint, our talents constantly offer the most innovative technologies and best solutions to our clients to optimize their investments and meet the world’s energy challenges.

Our mission is to deliver safe, sustainable and quality projects across the world.

We operate in three main businesses:

Subsea

In subsea hydrocarbon field development, Technip’s activities include the design, manufacture and installation of rigid and flexible subsea pipelines and umbilicals.Thanks to our portfolio of technologies, industrial and operational assets on all continents and a state-of-the art fleet, we offer a unique vertically integrated model in the industry.

Offshore

In the Offshore business, our activities include engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) and installation of fixed and floating platforms.We use a complete range of technological solutions to answer the challenges faced by our clients.We are leveraging our expertise in full-range of offshore facilities, as well as our strong know-how with added-value process skills and proprietary platform design.

Onshore

In the Onshore business, we deliver to our clients all the experience we have acquired for almost 60 years, combined with a large technology solutions portfolio. We are working on onshore facilities that the energy sector needs, in particular for oil and gas industry players.Technip is one of the global leaders for the refining business and petrochemical units. We also reinforced our position on project management consultancy (PMC) activities, by leveraging our expertise in the management of complex projects.

Technip at a glance

Technip Zimmer® Polyester (PET) 3

Technip Zimmer® technologies combine maximum resource efficiency, high availability and low operating costs –proven in more than 800 polymer plants around the world. Based on this extensive experience, we can provide solutions tailored to your needs, with a capacity of up to 2,000 metric tons per day in a single finisher.

A highly efficient technology, with versatile applications

EfficiencyTechnip Zimmer® PET technology features an extremely efficient conversion of resources, delivering the highest yield and boosting profitability. At the same time, plants with our technology achieve low energy consumption in a compact layout. Exhaust gases are treated in an internal system, resulting in very low emissions. Further, plants are designed with a heat recovery system that uses thermal energy to produce a vacuum for the ethylene glycol jet.

ProductivityWe understand that avoiding downtime is business-critical. Our technology is highly reliable. In fact, plants with our technology can operate for up to seven years without requiring shutdown for servicing. Plus, all our facilities include safety features such as automatic hazard warnings.

Outstanding qualityThe resin produced by plants with our technology is easy to work with: it melts easily requiring less energy. And the resulting end products – whether textiles or packaging – feature the desired characteristics of top-quality PET, such as high uniformity, bright colors and low acetaldehyde content.

Zimmer PET Plant in Thailand (Kangwal Polyester Co., Ltd.)

4 Technip Zimmer® Polyester (PET)

We offer tailor-made solutions with a capacity of up to 2,000 metric tons per day.Our solutions are based on our extensive portfolio of proprietary technologies, from E to EPC packages. This allows us to meet your needs, without hiring external partners, as each project is optimized to your feedstock and desired applications.

Plants with our technology are highly flexible and can be modified as requirements or recipes change due to shifting market demands.

Large capacitiesOur robust disc ring reactor design is the result of our extensive experience, in-depth research and development and technological expertise. We build plants with high capacities that deliver impressive economies of scale.

High viscosity, large capacity solutions

Our proprietary double-drive reactor system guarantees a smooth and reliable operation at high viscosity and large capacities.

Design of Disc Ring Reactor (DD-DRR)

2500

2000

1500

1500

500

0

0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6

Viscosity in dl/g

Capacity in t/d

0.7 0.8 0.9

Double Drive Disc Ring Reactor

Single Drive Disc Ring Reactor

Application range of a single drive reactor

Application range of a double drive reactor

Technip Zimmer® Polyester (PET) 5

The best option...PET has become the preferred material for a wide range of light-weight, clear packaging – with good reason. Plants with Technip Zimmer® technology help you produce PET that makes unbreakable yet light-weight bottles or packaging, lowering transportation costs. You can be sure of PET that is extremely transparent and highly color-resistant. In addition, it will not affect the taste or smell of packaged goods, and boasts exceptionally low acetaldehyde levels. Last but not least, the outstanding quality of our end products offers high recyclability. These factors ensure your PET will find willing buyers for your products, as our customers around the world can confirm.

...for your productsAt the same time, we understand that various types of packaging have different requirements. We will provide you with the ideal recipe for your needs, from perfectly formed bottles to strong yet stretchable film.

The perfect packaging for your needs

Our end product is characterized by excellent quality, providing a range of advantages and flexibility for our customers and their clients.

Technip Zimmer’s proprietary Disc Ring Reactor

6 Technip Zimmer® Polyester (PET)

Standard melt polycondensationThis is the option with the longest track record. The polymer produced by this method has a lower intermediate intrinsic viscosity (IV) which is lifted to its final value by a process called solid state polycondensation (SSP). The resulting resin is a completely dried granulate (also known as chips or pellets), which can be easily transported in bags or containers.

Zimmer is famed for having decades of experience with this dependable technology.

Direct High Intrinsic (DHI) viscosity processYears of continuous improvement and development of the PET process has culminated in a DHI high-tech process which does not require SSP. We have reduced the number of process steps, resulting in lower energy consumption, less capital equipment and fewer engineering hours, which directly translates to CAPEX and OPEX savings for you. The DHI process also eliminates losses associated with SSP and spillage – reducing raw material and utility costs.

The produced high viscosity melt can be continuously filtered, granulated, and crystallized (latent heat crystallization), forming fine chips at largest viscosity that are virtually dust-free. This energy-efficient solution ensures excellent product quality and low acetaldehyde reformation. The uniformity of these chips translates into smoother processing and more consistent preforms, with better color and clarity.

PET for packaging: Your choice

We offer two processes for producing PET for packaging, from tried-and-tested to cutting-edge.

Our experience working on projects around the world enables us to help you select the best option for your application.

Polycondensation Plant + SSP

Compressed air

Hot nitrogen

Chips cooling, ambient air

Compressed air

Compressed air

Hot nitrogen

SSP reactor throughcooler/deduster

(final viscosity via IV lift)

Nitrogen toNitrogenPreparation Unit

Nitrogen toNitrogenPreparation Unit

Acetaldehyde reduction,carrier gas: hot air

Chips cooling, ambient air

DHI plant

Compressed air

Hot air

Chipsquenchingwith water

Polymer plant up through granulation

(chips at intermediate viscosity)

Chips conveying

Chips conveying

Amorphous chipsintermediate storage

SSP pre-crystallizerand crystallizers

Hot chips conveying

Chips conveying tostorage and bagging

Polymer plant up throughgranulation/crystallization

(chips at final viscosity)

Chips conveying

Chips dealdehydizationthrough cooler

Chips conveying tostorage and bagging

Air totreatment

Technip Zimmer® Polyester (PET) 7

PET for textiles: it is your choice Thanks to its cost- and resource-efficient production, PET has emerged as the polymer of choice for textiles of all kinds. Quality of polyester, however, remains a key differentiator among technology providers. The best way to ensure a reliable supply of premium yarn is to operate your own plant based on Technip Zimmer® technology. In other words, plants flow smoothly and steadily without breakage – guaranteeing high-quality yarn.

Using our PET melt as feed for the direct spinning process ensures a superior end product and a higher resale value. In addition, our technology is highly available and easy to operate – running your own PET plant is straightforward and does not require prior experience in plastics manufacturing.

Resin meltPlants with our technology provide high-grade melt for spinning directly into staple fibers or filament (partially-oriented yarn or fully-drawn yarn). We can seamlessly integrate continuous PET production with direct spinning equipment.

Industrial specificationsWe welcome customers with special requirements. For example, we have experience designing plants that deliver medium-viscosity resin or granulate which is ideal for spinning into robust technical yarn. Our portfolio even extends to the extremely high viscosity required for tire cord.

Intrinsic viscosity range covers the following applications:

Plant capacities Reactor type Tons/Day Application

Medium viscosities 0.5 – 0.66 IV

Vertical cascade reactor and disc ring reactor

90 – 2000 Textile filaments, staple fibers, bulk continuous filament carpet yarns, feed materials for solid state polycondensation for specialty plastics or bottles

High viscosities 0.66 – 0.9 IV

Vertical cascade reactor and double drive disc ring reactor

≤ 1000 Industrial yarns, engineering plastics, bottles/packaging

Dealdehydization tower

≤ 1000 Packaging & bottles

Very high viscosities 0.9 – 1.00 IV

Vertical cascade reactor and disc ring reactor with SSP

150 – 600 Tire cord, rigid engineering plastics

Products Polymer melt or chips

Technip Zimmer® technology has been

applied in 170 polyester plants around the world.

HEADQUARTERSTechnip89 Avenue de la Grande Armée75773 Paris Cedex 16 France Phone: +33 (0)1 47 78 24 00

CONTACTS

Technip Zimmer Process TechnologyTechnip Zimmer GmbHFriesstrasse 2060388 FrankfurtGermanyPhone: +49 (0)69 5808 1701Email: technipzimmer@technip.com

Technip Zimmer Research CenterTechnip Zimmer GmbHGwinnerstraße 27-3360388 Frankurt GermanyPhone: +49 (0)69 5808 1701Email: technipzimmer@technip.com

www.technip.com

An impressive recordTechnip Zimmer is widely respected as a global market leader of polymer technologies built on decades of successful operation. As a pioneer in the industry, we have remained at the forefront of development by investing in R&D and continuously improving our technology.

Countries with a Zimmer PET plant

This document is the property of Technip and is not intended to be a binding contractual document. Any information contained herein shall not result in any binding obligation on the part of Technip, or any of its affiliates, and is provided for information purposes only. Technip Stone & Webster Process Technology – Communications – June 2015. Photo credits: Technip.

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