David Allen, University of Texas, Austin

Changing feedstocks, process chemistries and
process technologies changes the system of
chemical manufacturing processes
David Allen
Department of Chemical Engineering,
and Center for Energy and Environmental Resources
University of Texas at Austin

Input-Output models of the chemical manufacturing
industries based on work of Rudd and collaborators

Changing raw materials from
petroleum to natural gas based
feedstocks changes the
manufacturing system and creates
new bottleneck processes

MMBbl/yea
600
400
200

0
1990 Natural
1995Gas Liquids
2000

Heavy Liquids
2005
2010

Butadiene experiences large price impacts and acetaldehyde becomes a bottleneck intermediate
as natural gas liquids replace naphtha feedstocks (DeRosa, S. and Allen, D.T., (2015) ACS
Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 3, 451-459)

New technologies create
new processing pathways
(e.g., methane to aromatics)

Analysis of methane to aromatics technologies identifies key cost points and maps cascading
effects through xylene and toluene supply chains (DeRosa, S. and Allen, D.T., Impact of new
technologies and chemical manufacturing routes on the petrochemical industry in the United

States, in review)

• Changing feedstocks, process
chemistries, and process
technologies changes the system of
chemical manufacturing processes
• Changes in energy consumption,
materials consumption, water use,
and other features of environmental
footprints can be larger in the
indirect impacts than in the direct
impacts