【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Equipment】The technology for producing maleic anhydride from butane using ionic liquids, 2194–2025, has been approved

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Give praise and encouragement to the achievements made in China’s chemical engineering technology and equipment; your participation in discussions is the greatest encouragement. **********************【Ten Years of Great Progress in Chemical Engineering Equipment】Regular updates and summaries are available; feel free to join the discussions at https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html ***************** Recently, the project on a new catalyst and process for the efficient oxidation of butane into maleic anhydride using ionic liquids, led by the Institute of Process Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, passed the evaluation of scientific and technological achievements organized by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation. The appraisal committee, composed of He Mingyuan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Han Buxing, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Gao Xionghou, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and others, concluded that this achievement is at the international leading level. 　　It is reported that this project was carried out in collaboration by the Institute of Process Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Liaoning Shengze Catalyst Technology Co., Ltd., and Luoyang Refining & Chemical Co., Ltd. Compared with existing industrial technologies, this achievement increases the yield of maleic anhydride by 10%, reduces light acid by-products by over 90%, and lowers the peak temperature by 20°C to 30°C, thereby breaking the long-term monopoly of international giants on maleic anhydride technology. The results of this project have been applied in more than 10 projects at enterprises such as Luoyang Refining & Chemical, Huizhou Yuxin, and Karamay Jinyuan Fine Chemicals, yielding significant ecological and economic benefits. 　　The head of the ion liquid R&D team said that, through 10 years of research and effort, the project team has developed a new catalyst for the oxidation of butane to maleic anhydride, along with a set of green and low-carbon technologies, all of which possess independent intellectual property rights. By innovatively utilizing the microenvironment of ionic liquids, special hydrogen bonds, coordination complexes, and targeted introduction of elements to precisely construct catalysts, they developed low-acidity lattice oxygen catalysts (ILO) with multiple active sites. This approach enabled effective control over the solvent environment and activation conditions, resulting in a complete set of technologies for the large-scale production of ILO catalysts. The prepared catalysts have controllable structure, excellent quality, and stable performance. At the same time, they developed new types of catalysts, high-efficiency butane oxidation reactors, and activation devices, overcoming key technologies such as gas distribution, heat removal during reaction, and the proper packing of catalysts, thereby achieving efficient and selective conversion of butane. 　　Industry experts say that the large-scale industrialization and widespread adoption of this technology will significantly promote the efficient and clean use of petrochemical resources, help the chemical industry achieve low-carbon and sustainable development, and simultaneously provide another successful example for the application of ionic liquids.