【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Equipment】China National Petroleum’s first polybutylene pilot plant was successfully commissioned in 1863–2017

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Safety first. Prevention first – let’s give recognition and support to the achievements made in China’s chemical engineering technology and equipment. **********************【Ten Years of Rapid Development 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 (Source: Haichuan Chemical Engineering Forum) ***************** On May 31, 2017, China Petroleum’s first pilot-scale polybutylene production facility, designed by the Research Institute of Petroleum and Petrochemicals under China Petroleum, was built at the Daqing Chemical Engineering Research Center and successfully commissioned for its first operation. All of the first batch of polybutylene products produced met the technical specifications. 　　This is another high-end platform that gives rise to new polyolefin products, following the polyethylene pilot plant; it indicates that the Petrochemical Research Institute possesses the technical capability to produce high-end polybutylene products on its own. It holds great significance for the development of new polyolefin products, the industrialization of polybutylene production technologies, and the pilot-scale polymerization evaluation of new polyolefin catalysts. 　　Polybutylene is a semicrystalline polyolefin thermoplastic resin synthesized from butene-1 monomer; it is known as the \"gold among plastics\". It boasts excellent resistance to environmental stress cracking, heat creep, and wear. Being odorless and non-toxic, it represents one of the most advanced chemical materials in the world and can be widely used in hot and cold water pipes, films, and as a modifier. 　　In order to develop new polyolefin products suitable for China’s national conditions and to increase the added value and technical content of these products, with the strong support of the Science and Technology Management Department of China National Petroleum Corporation, researchers at the Petrochemical Research Institute have been working on the project of \"pilot-scale research on polybutylene-1 resin synthesis technology\" since 2014. To accelerate technological innovation, promote the conversion of research results, and reduce risks associated with industrial production facilities, in 2016, researchers carried out the design and construction work for a pilot-scale polybutylene production facility, building on previous small-scale experiments. 　　Catalysts are at the core of polyolefin processes and new products. For catalysts to move from the laboratory to industrial application, they must be evaluated using pilot-scale units in order to improve their performance and reduce the risks associated with their direct use in industrial settings. 　　The completion of the polybutylene pilot test facility will provide reliable technical support for areas such as catalyst scale-up and evaluation, as well as process optimization in industrial plants; it also has functions for technical services and personnel training. At the same time, this system also possesses the capability to evaluate the batch pilot-scale polymerization of polyethylene using the slurry process and polypropylene using the bulk process. It provides an important testing platform for the development of new polyethylene and polypropylene products as well as for the pilot-scale evaluation of new catalysts, and will contribute to the development and industrialization of high-efficiency catalysts for polyolefins in China.