ADI evaluated the commercial viability of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for arsine removal by analyzing adoption drivers in downstream Oleflex and PDH units. The research highlights the critical trade-offs between MOF performance and the lower costs of sacrificial zinc oxide catalysts. Final recommendations included identifying high-growth license opportunities globally.
The client
Materials technology developer
The situation
A materials developer needed to determine if MOF technology could displace conventional adsorbents in natural gas and downstream refining.
ADI’s contributions
Primary research with operators
Structured interviews with 26 natural gas and petrochemical experts revealed a lack of market interest in the upstream sector.
Downstream unit benchmarking
Analysis of global arsine removal units identified Oleflex and PDH processes as the primary drivers for future demand.
Adsorbent competitive landscaping
Profiling of 18 suppliers established that copper/zinc oxide remains the benchmark for multi-contaminant removal performance.
Pricing and growth modeling
Cost analysis showed that MOFs must compete with lower cost sacrificial catalysts to gain traction in cost-sensitive markets.
Key outcomes
- Prioritization of downstream petrochemical applications over natural gas and identification of the primary target market.
More insights
Article
Post-auto growth in lubricants
HF Sinclair plans to separate its Lubricants & Specialties business, retire its 15,600-barrel-per-day Ontario base oil refinery, and replace internal production with long-term supply agreements. Similar portfolio activity is visible across the industry: BP sold a controlling interest in Castrol, Saudi Aramco acquired Valvoline’s global products business, and private-equity-backed distributors continue to add local businesses. […]
Article
What’s going on in diesel markets?
Disruptions in Russia and the Middle East have removed up to 3 million barrels per day of refining capacity from global markets. Diesel prices have responded accordingly. U.S. diesel prices recently exceeded $6.50 per gallon, U.S. Gulf Coast LLS diesel crack spreads moved above $100 per barrel, and U.S. distillate inventories fell to approximately 107 […]
Article
Grid realities: Regulators are pushing back
In a previous article, we discussed how rising electricity demand is forcing utilities to accelerate investments in generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure. Data centers have become one of the largest drivers of that growth, leading utilities across the country to propose billions of dollars in new projects to maintain reliability and serve future load. Most […]