PDH Process

The Propane DeHydrogenation (PDH) process is a catalytic process that converts propane into propylene: 

	PDH process
Steps	Preheat propane, recycle propane, and hydrogen to 500–700 °C, then feed into a reactor
Catalyst	Platinum or chromium oxide-based catalyst
Products	Propylene, with hydrogen as a by-product
Applications	Propylene is a petrochemical building block used to make plastics and other products
Advantages	PDH offers higher propylene yields than other processes

The PDH process is highly endothermic, and is usually carried out at high temperature and low pressure. The two major steps in the PDH process are propane feed dehydrogenation and product separation. The by-product hydrogen can be used for fuel or exported for other uses. 

PDH is becoming a phenomenon in the LPG and petrochemical industries. Propylene production capacity via PDH is slated to grow rapidly over the next several years.