Synthesis of cyclopentadiene trimer (tricyclopentadiene) over various zeolites: A feasibility study for scale-up reactions and comparative economic analysis between two-step and one-pot processes using an engineering estimation

Abstract Several researchers have continuously studied the development of HEDFs using tricyclopentadiene (TCPD) as a raw material. However, the production of high-energy-density fuels (HEDFs) using the TCPD raw material has been performed mainly in a laboratory-scale process, and there is no clear standard to judge the value of commercialization. Therefore, in this study, the scale-up effects were investigated for four reaction cases (1. cycloaddition of endo-dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) over Al-MCM-41; 2. isomerization of endo-tetrahydrotricyclopentadiene (THTCPD) over HY(30); 3. one-pot DCPD oligomerization and TCPD isomerization over MMZ-Hβ(300); 4. one-pot DCPD oligomerization and TCPD isomerization over Hβ(25)) for manufacturing highly valuable TCPD. These four cases were analyzed and compared with the results of corresponding laboratory-scale tests for checking the reproducibility of each reaction to some degree. Additionally, the measurement and analysis of the important major physical properties of the final products from each reaction case were carried out according to ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) methods such as specific gravity, heat of combustion, viscosity and freezing point. Finally, the comparative economic analysis was performed between two-step process of the separate oligomerization/isomerization and one-pot oligomerization/isomerization considering the regeneration of catalysts through the estimation of the unit manufacturing cost for each pilot scale production using an engineering estimate method based on the reaction conditions for the scale-up test results. As a result, the two-step process has a strong point in the relatively higher TCPD yield despite the disadvantage of the relatively longer process step.