Why the Univation announcement on polyethylene line size is a great reason to celebrate process engineers and operators in the polymer industry?

This week, #Univation announced the next-generation of the UNIPOL™ PE Process platform with its newest world-scale licensed capacity offering of 800,000 tonnes per year (t/y) design. The previous capacity for this platform stood at 650,000 t/y.

The Gas Phase technology for making High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) was developed in the 60’s and within a decade expanded to making Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE). At the time, it was considered a great leap forward over the then established LDPE technology. The Gas phase process, utilizing a much lower pressure, was more capital efficient, versatile, cheaper and safer to operate.

In 1989, Union Carbide’s LP-5 reactor in Seadrift, Texas, became the world’s largest single-reactor PE plant at 225,000 t/y. 

With the laws of thermodynamics unchanged over the last 36 years, a succession of smart engineers and sharp operators collaborated diligently to increase the line capacity. I calculate an average capacity increase of 3.6% per year over this time frame. 

So, is that impressive?

Answer: Absolutely! A similar improvement rate applied to the Honda Civic that was averaging 32 miles per gallon (mpg) in 1989, would yield a 2025 Civic running at 114 mpg!!!

Incremental improvement over a long period of time, like compound interest, is indeed a very under-appreciated wonder of the modern world