Himtek Engineering JSC is the leading Russian company in the development and organisation of alkylethanolamine production.
Dimethylethanolamine (DMEA) is an amino alcohol, organic compound. It is obtained in industry by synthesis of ethylene oxide and dimethylamine.
The main areas for dimethylethanolamine application are: the production of initial monomers for water treatment, as a catalyst for polyurethane foam and ion exchange resins. In addition, DMEA is used in the chemical, paint and varnish, pharmaceutical and textile industries.
The global demand for dimethylethanolamine is currently estimated to be 250,000 tonnes per year. The development of DMEA application areas, mostly, technology for water treatment and the production of polyurethane foams, is determined by the growth in the demand for DMEA as a basic raw material component.
Technology description:
- Dimethylethanolamine synthesis.
- Reaction mixture separation.
- Distillation of return dimethylamine.
- Rectification with dimethylethanolamine extraction.
Synthesis is carried out in the liquid phase from ethylene oxide and dimethylamine in a anhydrous medium, at a temperature of 80-120 °Ñ and pressure up to 50 atmospheres. The reaction is autocatalytic and does not require a special catalyst. The process is characterised by high output and high-quality of DMEA.
Practical implementation:
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Russia's only DMEA production plant is situated in Dzerzhinsk (Nizhny Novgorod region) on the territory of Sintez OKA LLC. In 2007, Himtek Engineering JSC was set the following tasks:
• Increase DMEA production capacity to 5,000 tonnes per year (from 1,000 tonnes).
• Bring the product's quality characteristics in line with generally accepted international standards.
To date, Himtek Engineering JSC has achieved all the set tasks. The experience gained from upgrading the existing plant has made it possible to start on the creation of a new large tonnage DMEA plant with a capacity of 10,000 tonnes per year using Himtek Engineering's own technology.
