Acid-Catalyzed Dehydration of 1,3-Butanediol into Green 1,3-Butadiene: Process Concept and Techno-Economic Assessment

For the first time, a process concept for the on-purpose production of sustainable 1,3-butadiene (99.5 wt %) from biobased 1,3-butanediol is reported. The comprehensive design of the 200 kt/y 1,3-butadiene plant, coproducing similar to 59 kt/y of propylene, is centered on a moving bed reactor with a zeolite catalyst. For a feedstock price of 1,120 EUR/t, the minimum butadiene selling price amounted to similar to 3,500 EUR/t, with a total capital expenditure of similar to 280 million EUR. A negative carbon footprint of -0.78 tonne CO2 per tonne 1,3-BD was achieved, including the production of 1,3-BDO. A sensitivity analysis demonstrated the potential of the proposed technology, requiring a minimum catalyst selectivity of 86% and a legal framework supporting a 10% market share for green 1,3-butadiene, while limiting the overall price increase to 5%. Moreover, design guidelines were identified to ensure a competitive process, such as the importance of a mature 1,3-butanediol production process using second-generation biomass and the need for catalysts that minimize 3-buten-1-ol cracking.