Ethylene Oxide Catalysts

Shell Catalysts & Technologies has been reinventing ethylene oxide catalyst possibilities for more than 80 years, constantly and consistently improving their performance. Shell was the inventor of every class of EO catalyst. The inventions of the first High Selectivity and later High-Performance catalysts define the current landscape of EO production globally.

The most important measure of ethylene oxide catalyst performance is selectivity defined as the molar yield of ethylene oxide produced per molar quantity of ethylene reacted. Another important parameter is activity, the catalyst temperature required to achieve the desired EO production level. Shell Catalysts & Technologies’ scientists have focused on improving not only the initial selectivity performance of our ethylene oxide catalysts but also the average catalyst selectivity throughout life.

Our High Selectivity catalysts offer unrivalled initial selectivity and excellent stability, leading the industry in performance. Our Hybrid catalysts were created to offer an alternative to High Activity catalyst, and over time have improved to a level where they now offer a huge enhancement in selectivity over High Activity.

Highly active, highly selective EO catalysts make up Shell Catalysts & Technologies’ High-Performance catalyst family which can operate for long periods at significantly higher work rates than other catalyst types and are more tolerant of higher CO2 concentrations. Additionally, Shell’s High-Performance EO catalysts also experience consistently slower performance decline over time, offering the highest average selectivity levels.

Our Key strengths in EO/EG Technology:

  • Pioneer and industry leader in EO process and catalyst technology development
  • The largest EO catalyst supplier with world-class manufacturing facilities
  • Experienced and responsive technical team work with customers to identify opportunities to improve plant profitability; operations & reliability
  • More than 50% of the world’s EO is made using Shell technology
Three Shell scientists work together on ethlyene oxide catalysts in a laboratory.

We prove our ethylene oxide catalysts expertise by producing over 50% of the world’s EO catalysts.

HP catalysts have initial selectivities approaching or in some cases equaling HS catalyst performance. HP catalysts feature the high stability of HA and HY catalysts, making them the longest-lived, highest selectivity catalysts available in the world. First demonstrated on a small scale in 2005, Shell Catalysts & Technologies’ HP catalyst family is now poised once again to recalibrate what defines a world-class Ethylene Oxide catalyst.

Ethylene Oxide/Ethylene Glycol (EO/EG) Process Technology

Shell Catalysts & Technologies offers an extensive range of EO catalysts to enable operators to increase production while maintaining selectivity.

Contact Shell Catalysts & Technologies

Contact Shell Catalysts & Technologies to meet the challenges petrochemical plants face with confidence.