The facility has recovered nearly 500 tons of low-magnetic agents in total; Lanzhou Petrochemical has turned these \"waste agents\" into \"new agents\"”

Thread Content

On June 5, in the control room of Lanzhou Petrochemical’s 3 million tons per year heavy oil catalytic cracking unit, Yang Yongna, a third-level engineer from the Second Refining Department, was reviewing the monthly production reports: after using low-magnetic agents that met the required standards, the activity of the balancing agents in the reaction and regeneration system remained at 60%, while the yield of light oil products stayed above 85%... All key performance indicators of the unit were within the specified ranges. Behind this set of data is a magnetic separation technology that transforms \"waste materials\" into \"new materials,\" bringing real benefits in terms of improved quality and efficiency to enterprises. “Each time, 1 ton of low-magnetic agent that meets the standards can replace 0.6 tons of fresh catalyst. ”Yang Yongna said that since July 2025, the facility has recovered nearly 500 tons of low-magnetic agents in total. It is expected to reduce the consumption of fresh catalyst by 330 tons per year, generating direct economic benefits of over 2 million yuan. The heavy oil catalytic cracking unit is the core component in refining companies that determines the value and profitability of their products; during its operation, a large amount of failed catalysts—balance agents—are generated. These balancing agents are classified as hazardous waste because they adsorb heavy metals such as nickel and vanadium from the crude oil. For a long time, companies have had to bear high disposal costs as well as continuously purchase fresh catalysts. How to save money while maintaining stable production? Lanzhou Petrochemical seeks efficiency through technology. By applying magnetic separation technology, highly polluting and low-activity components in the balancing agent are precisely removed, while the low-magnetic agents that still possess catalytic activity are used as a supplement to fresh catalysts and reintroduced into the production system. The inclusion of low-magnetic agents in the reaction helps to stabilize the conversion rate of heavy oil and optimize the yield of light oils, meaning that the same amount of raw material can produce more high-value products, thereby further expanding the potential for profits. It is worth noting that using 1 ton of low-magnetic agent each time is equivalent to reducing the generation of 3 tons of hazardous waste. It not only saves substantial disposal costs but also reduces the generation of hazardous waste at the source, thereby lowering environmental risks and disposal pressures.