Guangzhou Petrochemical’s No. 3 polypropylene plant successfully produced copolymer products

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Guangzhou Petrochemical’s No. 3 polypropylene plant successfully produced a copolymer product – Date: 2017-01-05; Source: Sinopec News Network. Recently, Guangzhou Petrochemical’s No. 3 polypropylene plant managed to produce the high-ethylene copolymer product K8003. According to laboratory test results, the technical parameters of this product, such as its bending modulus, impact strength on a simply supported beam, and melt index, fully meet the requirements and quality standards set by the patent holder (Japanese company JPP). Once launched on the market, this product will be able to meet the demand for plastic products from home appliance manufacturers in South China. By the end of December 2016, the facility had produced over 3,200 tons of K8003 product in 11 batches. Guangzhou Petrochemical’s No. 3 polypropylene plant was officially put into operation on November 25, 2016. K8003 is the first copolymer product developed by this plant since its commissioning. To ensure the safety of the plant during production as well as the quality of the products, technical personnel prepared detailed production plans in advance to address any potential difficulties that might arise during the processing stage. To prevent fluctuations in the amount of raw material ethylene from affecting the stable operation of the upstream polyethylene plants, the technicians from the two plants conducted small-scale experimental evaluations during the development phase to determine the appropriate amount of ethylene to be added. By controlling the propylene content in the second reactor via the control device, zero emissions from the flare were ensured during the switchover to copolymer products. The copolypropylene product K8003 has high viscosity, and fine powder is likely to be generated during production; therefore, the ethylene content must be strictly controlled. Since the measurement by the nuclear level gauge was not particularly accurate during the early stages of production, the technicians controlled the power of the mixer motor to ensure the rubber yield and ethylene content in the second reactor, thereby reducing the formation of fine powder ； At the beginning of operation, the facility ran at a low load level; the plastic particle products had the defect of being too small in size. Through repeated discussions and analyses, and by taking measures such as adjusting the number of cutters on the granulator at appropriate times, the technical staff managed to resolve the issue of excessively small product particles. Since the successful commissioning of the unit with its first batch of feed, through continuous adjustments and optimizations, the installation has now entered a stable operating phase. Recently, the last auxiliary unit of the plant – the membrane recovery system – was also put into operation successfully. It is used to recover the propylene material from the degassing chamber, thereby maximizing efficiency.