Styrene Production from Methanol & Toluene
Styrene Production Costs Report | Issue E | Q3 2024
Report Details |
750 kta United States-based plant | Q3 2024 | 107 pages |
This report presents a cost analysis of a 750 kta (kilo metric ton per annum) United States-based plant. You can add a customized cost analysis, assuming another location (country), when ordering a premium edition of this report.
Report Abstract
This report analyses the economics of Styrene production from methanol and toluene in the United States. The process evaluated is similar to Exelus Styrene Monomer Technology (ExSyM) technology. In this process, toluene is submitted to alkylation with methanol over zeolite catalyst, yielding styrene.
The report provides a comprehensive study of Styrene production and related Styrene production cost, covering three key aspects: a complete description of the Styrene production process examined; an in-depth analysis of the related Styrene plant capital cost (Capex); and an evaluation of the respective Styrene plant operating costs (Opex).
The Styrene production process description includes a block flow diagram (BFD), an overview of the industrial site installations, detailing both the process unit and the necessary infrastructure, process consumption figures and comprehensive process flow diagrams (PFD). The Styrene plant capital cost analysis breaks down the Capex by plant cost (i.e., ISBL, OSBL and Contingency); owner's cost; working capital; and costs incurred during industrial plant commissioning and start-up. The Styrene plant operating costs analysis covers operating expenses, including variable costs like raw materials and utilities, and fixed costs such as maintenance, labor, and depreciation.
Process Schematic

The process under analysis comprises the following major sections: (1) alkylation; (2) styrene separation and (3) purification.
* Alkylation. Initially, fresh and recycled toluene and methanol are vaporized, superheated, and fed to alkylation reactors. The reaction is carried out in a fixed-bed reactor at around 400 - 425 °C at atmospheric pressure in the presence of a modified zeolite catalyst. The effluent from the alkylation, containing Styrene, ethylbenzene, hydrogen, carbon monoxide and unconverted methanol and toluene, is then directed to separation steps downstream.
* Styrene separation. The effluent from the alkylation step is cooled, partially condensed, and fed to a settling drum. Vapors are disengaged from the liquid phase, compressed, cooled and passed through an absorber/stripper system, for the recovery of residual aromatics which are recycled. The aqueous phase from the settling drum is fed to a distillation column, in which unconverted methanol and dissolved trace hydrocarbons are recovered. Water withdrawn from column bottom is discharged. The organic phase from the settling drum is directed to purification steps downstream.
* Purification. The organic phase from Styrene separation is mixed with dinitrophenols, which act as inhibitor to lessen polymer formation throughout distillation steps downstream, carried out under vacuum. In a first distillation step, unreacted toluene is separated from the Styrene stream and recycled to the alkylation reaction. In a subsequent distillation step, Styrene is separated from ethylbenzene, which is sold as by-product. Finally, Styrene is purified from residual impurities – mainly C9 aromatic compounds – in a last distillation step.
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Production Process Information
Process Consumptions
Labor Requirements
Plant Capital Cost Summary
Operating Cost Summary
Production Costs Datasheet
Plant Capital Cost Details
Operating Cost Details
Plant Cost Breakdowns
Plant Capacity Assessment
Process Flow Diagrams
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Content Highlights
Plant Capital Cost Summary
Summary outlining the capital cost required for building the Styrene production plant examined
Plant Capital Cost Details
Detailing of fixed capital (ISBL, OSBL & Owner’s Cost), working capital and additional capital requirements
Plant Cost Breakdowns
Breakdown of Styrene process unit (ISBL) costs and infrastructure (OSBL) costs; plant cost breakdown per discipline
Operating Costs Summary
Summary presenting the operating variable costs and the total operating cost of the Styrene production plant studied
Operating Cost Details
Detailing of utilities costs, operating fixed costs and depreciation
Plant Capacity Assessment
Comparative analysis of capital investment and operating costs for different Styrene plant capacities
Production Process Information
Block Flow Diagram, descriptions of process unit (ISBL) and site infrastructure (OSBL)
Process Consumptions
Raw materials and utilities consumption figures, by-products credits, labor requirements
Process Diagrams
Process flow diagrams (PFD), equipment list and industrial site configuration
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